PRINCETON  •  NEW  JERSEY 


PRESENTED  BY 

The  widovT  of  George  Dugan,  *96 


BX  9184 

.A5  H3 

1905 

"■^ 

Harper, 

James . 

An  exposition 

in  the 

form  o:^ 

question  and 

answer 

of 

the 

<<kV.\ 


AN  EXPOSITION 


h%'^ 


tidSSiAl 


In  the  Form  of  Question 
AND  Answer  of  the 


Westminster  Assembly's 
Shorter  catechism 


BY 
JAMES '^HARPER,  D.D.,  LL.D., 

Lately  Professor  of  Theology  in  the  Theological Semina.ry,  Xenia,,  Ohio 


pittsburgh 

United  Presbyterian  Board  of  Publication 

MCMV 


Copyright,  1905,  by 
THE  UNITED  PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF  PUBI^ICATION 


Murdoch-Kerr  Press 
Pittsburgh 


PREFACE. 

To  some  it  may  seem  preposterous,  and  to  others 
presumptuous,  to  offer  to  the  public  at  this  day  a  cate- 
chism founded  on  the  famous  Shorter  Catechism  and  ex- 
planatory of  it;  preposterous  because,  forsooth,  such 
methods  of  instruction  are  superseded  by  modern  expe- 
dients ;  presumptuous  because  implying  a  claim  to  superi- 
ority over  the  numerous  expositions  of  the  Shorter  Cate- 
chism which  have  appeared  during  the  last  two  centuries 
and  a  half. 

In  self-defense,  the  author  may  say  that  no  better 
way  of  communicating  to  youth  the  knowledge  of  Bible 
truth  is  known  to  him  than  that  of  question  and  answer, 
as  exemplified  in  the  Shorter  Catechism  and  kindred  pro- 
ductions; that  the  popular  plans  now  dignified  as  "Bible 
Study"  appear  to  be  devoted  rather  to  the  shell  than  to 
the  kernel  of  gospel  truth ;  and  that,  while  gratefully 
recognizing  the  excellence  of  many  expositions  which 
have  been  given  of  the  Shorter  Catechism,  he  yet  thinks 
that  there  is  room  left  for  another  attempt  to  explain  it,  to 
defend  its  teachings  and  indicate  their  bearing  on  modern 
phases  of  thought,  and  to  do  all  this  in  language  less  open 
to  the  charge  of  inelegance  and  crudeness  than  is  that  in 
which  most  of  the  expositions  of  that  formulary  have 
been  couched. 

•  It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  labors  of  predecessors 
in  this  field  have  been  freely  utilized  in  this  manual.  The 
line  of  thought,  perhaps  even  the  language,  of  previous 
expositions  may  be  traceable  here  and  there  in  this  their 
successor.  That  it  should  be  otherwise  could  not  reason- 
ably be  expected,  or  even  desired. 

Considering  the  multitude  of  points  embraced  in  this 
survey,  complete  concurrence  in  the  views  expressed  can 


AN  EXPOSITION  OF 


hardly  be  looked  for  even  in  the  case  of  those  who  are,  in 
the  main,  hearty  friends  of  the  great  system  of  truth  em- 
bodied in  the  Westminster  Standards.  It  may  suffice  to 
say  that  the  truth  according  to  the  author's  judgment 
has  been  presented,  but  that  he  disclaims  infallibility. 

To  some  it  may  seem  that  a  disproportionate  atten- 
tion has  been  given  to  the  points  of  controversy  between 
Protestants  and  Romanists.  The  answer  to  this  is  that 
the  knowledge  of  the  Romish  system  seems  to  be  fading 
from  the  Protestant  mind;  and  that  never  was  there 
greater  need  than  now  to  bring  the  light  of  Scripture  to 
bear  on  the  errors,  the  arrogant  pretensions,  and  subtle 
devices  of  that  foe  of  the  gospel.  With  the  belief  that  for 
the  purpose  of  instruction  in  families  and  in  the  more  ad- 
vanced classes  in  Sabbath  schools  this  manual  may  be 
found  helpful,  it  is  now  given  to  the  printer,  and  through 
him  to  the  public. 

It  is  a  matter  of  regret,  though  not  of  wonder,  that 
in  the  lapse  of  time  slight  verbal  variations  have  crept 
into  the  text  of  the  Shorter  Catechism,  even  as  issued  by 
careful  and  responsible  printers.  Impelled  by  a  desire  to 
remove  these  blemishes  and  to  determine  the  genuine 
text,  Professor  John  McNaugher,  D.D.,  of  Allegheny 
Theological  Seminary,  has  succeeded  with  characteristic 
critical  discrimination  in  producing  what  may  fitly  be 
called  the  standard  edition  of  the  famous  little  formulary. 
This  is  the  edition  followed  in  the  present  attempt  to  ex- 
plain and  enforce  the  teachings  of  the  Shorter  Catechism. 

To  the  same  friend  heartiest  thanks  are  due  and  are 
hereby  expressed  for  numerous  offices  generously  per- 
formed by  him  in  connection  with  the  publication  of  this 
volume. 

The  Author. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM 


INTRODUCTION. 

The  word  "catechism"  is  derived  from  a  Greek  verb 
which  signifies  "to  sound  down"  or  into  one's  ears — that 
is,  to  impress  something  orally,  or  by  word  of  mouth.  A 
catechism  differs  from  a  treatise  somewhat  as  a  conversa- 
tion does  from  an  oration. 

From  the  earliest  times  of  the  New  Testament 
Church  the  importance  was  felt  of  providing  in  the  way 
of  question  and  answer  instruction  for  the  youth  and  for 
all  inquirers.  Those  who  were  willing  to  be  taught  in 
regard  to  the  Christian  religion  were  gathered  into  classes 
for  the  purpose,  the  name  "catechumens"  being  given  to 
them.  Pastors  and  others  qualified  to  teach  found  em- 
ployment in  conducting  those  classes,  and  were  called 
"catechists." 

In  course  of  time,  zeal  in  this  direction  greatly 
abated ;  but  at  the  date  of  the  Reformation  it  revived  with 
power.  Nearly  all  the  leading  Reformers  prepared  cate- 
chisms to  be  used  in  the  instruction  of  the  ignorant, 
whether  young  or  old.  Different  Churches  prepared  cate- 
chisms embodying  the  great  principles  of  their  profes- 
sion. For  the  Lutherans  the  Catechisms  "Larger"  and 
"Smaller,"  framed  by  Luther  in  1529,  served  for  the  pur- 
pose of  instruction.  For  the  "Reformed"  Churches  in 
Germany,  Holland,  and  America,  the  Heidelberg  Cate- 
chism, prepared  in  1563  by  Ursinus  and  Olevianus,  has 
long  been  an  authoritative  manual.  For  the  Church  of 
England  and  her  offshoots  a  catechism  originally  framed 
in  1549,  but  enlarged  in  1604,  and  revised  in  1661,  has 
been  the  recognized  formulary  of  religious  training. 

In  Scotland  great  zeal  in  the  catechetical  method  of 
instruction  was  shown  from  the  earliest  days  of  the  Re- 
formation in  that  country.     In  the  First  Book  of  Dis- 


AN  EXPOSITION  OF 


cipline,  which  was  adopted  in  1560,  it  was  ordained 
that  on  every  Sabbath  afternoon  the  children  should  be 
catechized  before  the  congregation.  This  enactment  pre- 
ceded by  more  than  two  centuries  the  Sabbath  school 
movement  begun  by  Robert  Raikes  of  Gloucester.  In 
1570  the  Scottish  General  Assembly  directed  that  three 
courses  of  religious  instruction  should  be  given  in  every 
parish  to  all  the  children,  these  courses  to  be  adapted  re- 
spectively to  children  of  9,  of  12,  and  of  14  years  of  age. 
Heads  of  families  were  enjoined,  moreover,  to  be  diligent 
in  the  catechizing  of  their  households. 

The  Assembly  of  1639,  ^.nd  again  that  of  1649,  order- 
ed that  in  every  congregation  a  day  of  catechizing  be  ob- 
served each  week.  Calvin's  Catechism,  the  Heidelberg 
Catechism,  a  Larger  and  a  Smaller  Catechism  by  John 
Craig,  received  the  sanction  of  the  Church  of  Scotland; 
and  these  with  some  others  were  in  use  in  that  country 
till  superseded  by  the  Westminster  Catechisms. 

Nor  was  a  sense  of  the  value  of  careful  catechetical 
drill  confined  to  Scotland.  On  the  Continent  of  Europe, 
and  emphatically  in  Geneva,  deep  interest  was  taken  in 
this  exercise.  In  England  many  catechisms  were  in  use 
before  the  preparation  by  the  Westminster  Assembly  of 
those  which  eclipsed  them  all.  About  the  time  when  that 
Assembly  came  to  a  close,  the  Provincial  Assembly  of 
London,  which  embraced  most  of  the  Puritan  ministers 
in  or  around  London,  issued  an  "Exhortation"  to  the  duty 
of  catechizing  the  youth  on  Sabbath  afternoons  before 
the  public  service,  so  that  all  might  hear.  Every  parish, 
moreover,  was  instructed  to  provide  catechisms  for  the 
poor. 

ORIGIN  OF  THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM. 

This  formulary  was  framed  by  the  renowned  "As- 
sembly of  Divines,"  held  in  Westminster  Abbey,  London, 
about  the  middle  of  the  17th  century. 

This  Assembly  was  convened  by  the  English  Parlia- 
ment for  the  purpose  of  revising  the  standards  of  the 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM 


Church  of  England  so  as  to  bring  them  more  fully  into 
harmony  with  Scripture  and  advanced  Protestantism. 

In  the  progress  of  events,  however,  the  Assembly's 
energies  were  directed  to  the  framing  of  certain  standards 
of  doctrine  and  ecclesiastical  polity  as  a  rallying  center 
for  Protestants  generally  in  the  British  Islands.  It  began 
its  sittings  on  July  i,  1643,  ^^^  continued  in  existence  till 
February  22,  1649,  during  which  time  it  held  1,163  regu- 
lar sessions,  a  session  generally  lasting  four  or  five  hours. 
It  consisted  of  the  ripest  scholars  of  England,  together 
with  a  few  commissioners  from  the  Church  of  Scotland, 
the  latter  being  merely  consultative  members. 

Although  151  were  originally  called  to  engage  in  this 
work,  the  average  attendance  at  the  various  sittings 
ranged  only  from  60  to  80.  By  large  committees  the 
various  questions  were  thoroughly  discussed  and  propo- 
sitions prepared  for  submission  to  the  collective  meeting. 
On  every  topic  brought  forward  an  intense  searchlight 
was  turned.  The  Confession  of  Faith  was  completed  and 
submitted  to  Parliament  on  April  29th,  1647. 

The  Larger  Catechism  was  finished  on  October  15th, 
1647;  while  the  Shorter  Catechism  was  reported  to  Par- 
liament as  complete  on  November  25th,  1647.  Thus  it 
may  be  said  that  this  Catechism  represents  the  most  ma- 
tured thought  of  the  Westminster  Assembly,  a  Council 
excelled  by  none  in  the  history  of  the  Christian  Church 
since  Apostolic  times  for  erudition  and  spiritual  eleva- 
tion. 

Great  pains  have  been  taken  to  ascertain  definitely 
by  whom  this  Catechism  was  drafted.  From  the  extant 
minutes  of  the  Assembly  and  from  other  sources  the 
names  of  the  members  of  the  committee  charged  with 
this  duty  have  been  ascertained ;  but  beyond  this  there  is 
no  absolute  certainty.  The  most  probable  conjecture  is 
that  the  authorship  belongs  to  Palmer  and  Wallis.  The 
former  was  Master  (or  President)  of  Queen's  College, 
Cambridge,  and  the  composer  of  a  catechism  to  which  the 
"Shorter"  bears  a  close  resemblance.    He  died  in  August, 


AN  EXPOSITION  OF 


1647,  before  the  draft  of  the  Shorter  Catechism  was  pre- 
pared for  submission  to  the  Assembly.  About  this  time 
Wallis  became  secretary  of  the  Catechism  committee. 
He  was  an  intimate  friend  of  Palmer,  and  not  only  an  ac- 
complished theologian,  but  also  one  of  the  most  eminent 
mathematicians  of  the  age.  "From  first  to  last,"  says  Dr. 
Mitchell  in  his  History  of  the  Westminster  Assembly, 
"it"  (that  is,  the  Shorter  Catechism)  "appears  to  me  in 
its  clear,  condensed,  and,  at  times,  almost  frigidly  logical 
definitions,  to  give  unmistakable  evidence  of  its  having 
passed  through  the  alembic  of  Dr.  Wallis,  the  great  math- 
ematician, the  friend  of  Palmer." 

On  July  28,  1648,  the  General  Assembly  of  the 
Church  of  Scotland  formally  endorsed  the  Catechism  as 
"a  part  of  the  covenanted  uniformity  in  religion  betwixt 
the  Churches  of  Christ  in  the  Kingdoms  of  Scotland,  Eng- 
land, and  Ireland,"  and  as  "a  directory  for  catechizing 
such  as  are  of  weaker  capacity."  Since  that  day  some 
have  thought  that  it  was  adapted  not  less  to  those  of 
stronger,  than  to  those  of  weaker,  capacity. 

In  many  languages  this  unpretentious  production  has 
found  expression.  Its  use  has  been  extensive  not  only 
among  all  English  speaking  Presbyterians,  but  also 
among  Congregationalists  and  Baptists  of  the  same 
speech.  The  late  Mr.  Spurgeon  esteemed  it  so  highly 
that  he  used  it  as  a  text  book  in  his  "Pastor's  College," 
exception  being  taken  only  to  part  of  its  teaching  in  re- 
gard to  Baptism. 

Around  this  Catechism  has  grown  up  a  large  crop  of 
expositions,  some  of  them  in  the  form  of  expository  lec- 
tures, but  most  of  them  cast  in  a  catechetical  mould.  Con- 
spicuous among  the  latter  class  are  Vincent's  catechism 
and  Flavel's.  Thomas  Vincent,  whose  catechism  is  still 
met  with,  was  one  of  those  Puritan  ministers,  two  thou- 
sand in  number,  who  for  refusal  to  conform  to  the  pre- 
latic  Church  of  England  were  ruthlessly  ejected  from 
their  charges  on  St.   Bartholomew's  day,  August  24th, 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM 


1662.  This  aid  to  the  study  of  the  Shorter  Catechism  ap- 
peared with  an  introductory  recommendation  signed  by 
Dr.  John  Owen  and  39  other  noted  theologians.  John 
Flavel  also,  another  of  the  victims  of  the  St.  Bartholo- 
mew ejectment,  gave  to  the  world  among  his  numerous 
writings  an  "Exposition  of  the  Assembly's  Catechism." 

In  New  England  the  Shorter  Catechism  was  highly 
prized.  In  explanation  and  enforcement  of  it  the  Rev. 
Samuel  Willard,  pastor  of  the  South  Church,  Boston,  and 
vice-president  of  Harvard  College,  preached  250  ser- 
mons, the  first  being  delivered  on  January  i,  1668,  and 
the  last  on  April  i,  1707.  These  exceedingly  able  dis- 
<:ourses  were  issued  from  the  press  in  Boston  in  1725. 

In  Scotland  several  works  explanatory  of  the  Shorter 
Catechism  have  appeared.  Three  of  these  are  still 
much  esteemed  and  used.  One  of  them,  commonly  known 
as  "Fisher's  Catechism,"  was  brought  out  about  the  mid- 
dle of  the  i8th  century,  being  the  product  of  the  labors 
of  Ralph  Erskine,  his  brother,  Ebenezer  Erskine,  and  the 
son-in-law  of  the  latter,  James  Fisher,  Professor  of  The- 
ology in  Glasgow.  This  production  appeared  in  two 
parts,  the  first  of  which  was  published  in  1753  and  the 
second  in  1760.  To  the  first  part  all  of  the  able  theolo- 
gians just  named  contributed ;  but,  two  having  died, 
Ralph  Erskine  in  1752,  and  his  brother  Ebenezer  in 
1754,  it  devolved  on  Professor  Fisher  to  complete  the 
undertaking.  Of  this  work  it  can  be  said  that  it  is  com- 
prehensive and  thorough,  and  that  it  has  been  of  signal 
value  in  raising  up,  wherever  used,  a  class  of  thoughtful 
and  well-trained  men  and  women. 

John  Brown  of  Haddington  (1722-1787),  a  man  of 
saintly  character  and  varied  learning,  eminent  as  a  theo- 
logian and  a  teacher  of  theology,  produced  two  cate- 
chisms, one  for  little  children,  which  is  a  favorite  still,  and 
another  dealing  with  the  Shorter  Catechism.  The  latter 
closely  resembles  Fisher's  work,  but  has  the  merit  of 
greater  clearness  and  simplicity. 


10  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

One  of  the  best  commentaries  on  the  Catechism  is  that 
entitled  "A  concise  system  of  theology  on  the  basis  of 
the  Shorter  Catechism,"  by  Alexander  Smith  Paterson. 
The  author  died  in  the  year  1828,  being  in  the  25th  year 
of  his  age.  He  was  a  student  of  theology  under  the  care 
of  the  Church  of  Scotland,  and  in  order  to  prepare  for  ex- 
amination before  the  Presbytery  he  drew  up  this  admira- 
ble survey  of  the  Shorter  Catechism. 

Thus  it  appears  that  he  who  applies  himself  to  the 
study  of  the  Shorter  Catechism  may  obtain  at  little  ex- 
pense very  satisfactory  aid  in  that  pursuit.  Tributary  to 
the  same  end  will  be  found  various  expositions  of  the 
Westminster  Confession  of  Faith  and  of  the  Larger  Cate- 
chism which  have  appeared.  One  of  the  best  works  in 
Systematic  Theology  is  a  treatise  by  Thomas  Ridgley, 
D.D.  (1667-1734),  which  is  simply  an  exposition  of  the 
Larger  Catechism,  and,  therefore,  virtually  of  the  Shorter 
Catechism. 

STRUCTURE  OF  THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM. 

It  might  be  assumed  that  in  a  catechism  prepared,  as 
was  the  Shorter,  by  men  of  highly  trained  mind,  the 
questions  would  be  shaped  and  arranged  in  a  logical  man- 
ner. This  assumption  is  justified  by  a  careful  inspection 
of  the  Shorter  Catechism.  In  the  preface  of  Fisher's 
Catechism,  already  referred  to,  there  is  given  a  minute 
analysis  which  sets  in  a  clear  light  the  logical  and  sym- 
metrical character  of  the  Assembly's  production.  A 
briefer  and  perhaps  more  satisfactory  outline  is  here  sub- 
mitted. 

The  Shorter  Catechism  consists  of  107  questions 
with  their  corresponding  answers,  and  may  be  divided 
into  three  parts,  namely,  an  introduction,  a  summary  of 
dogma,  or  of  doctrinal  principles,  and  an  epitome  of  the 
duties  attaching  to  human  beings  in  their  various  rela- 
tions. The  first  three  question?  are  introductory,  the 
opening  question  relating  to  the  chief  end  for  which  we 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  11 

should  strive,  the  second  question  pertaining  to  the  rule 
by  which  we  are  to  be  guided  in  seeking  this  end,  and 
the  third  question  and  answer  presenting  an  analysis  of 
that  rule. 

The  second  division,  or  part,  embraces  a  compact 
enumeration  of  the  great  doctrines  of  the  Christian  faith, 
and  extends  from  the  4th  to  the  38th  question  inclusive. 
The  third  division,  which  begins  with  the  39th  question 
and  extends  to  the  close,  presents  a  comprehensive  state- 
ment of  the  duty  incumbent  on  men  in  their  varied  rela- 
tions, and  may  be  sub-divided  into  two  parts.  The  first 
of  these  sub-divisions,  which  begins  with  question  39 
and  ends  with  question  81,  exhibits  duty  in  general  as 
set  forth  in  the  Ten  Commandments.  The  second  sub- 
division, which  begins  with  question  82  and  reaches  to 
the  end,  unfolds  those  duties  (privileges  they  might  also 
be  called)  which  grow  immediately  out  of  the  plan  of 
salvation  and  conduce  to  our  growth  in  grace. 

Enough  has  been  said  to  show  that  the  Catechism  is 
not  a  medley  of  incoherent  questions,  but  a  closely  artic- 
ulated system  of  theological  truth  in  the  form  of  inter- 
rogation and  response.  While  adapted  to  the  mental  con- 
dition of  a  child,  it  evinces  a  logical  order  and  precision 

which  may  command  the  respect  and  admiration  of  a 
sage. 

No  one  can  adequately  estimate  the  part  which  this 
brief  summary  of  Scripture  truth  has  had  in  the  preserva- 
tion and  diffusion  of  sound  doctrine.  It  is  surely  needless 
to  combat  at  any  length  the  notion  that  the  Catechism 
tends  to  supplant  the  Bible;  for  in  the  very  forefront  of 
the  former  is  emblazoned  the  principle  that  "The  Word 
of  God,  which  is  contained  in  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old 
and  New  Testaments,  is  the  only  rule  to  direct  us  how 
we  may  glorify  and  enjoy  Him."  The  Catechism  is 
meant  to  be  a  statement  in  clear  and  condensed  form  of 
the  main  teaching  of  the  Bible,  and  by  the  Bible  its 
declarations  are  to  be  tested.  For  any  inquirer  after 
truth  it  is  surely  of  signal  utility  to  have  a  compendium 


12  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

of  Bible  principles,  clearly  formulated,  put  into  his 
hands.  In  this  way  he  can  see  at  a  glance  what  purports 
to  be  the  system  of  Divine  truth,  instead  of  being  under 
the  necessity  of  reaching  conclusions  by  slow  and  labori- 
ous steps.  A  child  might  in  course  of  time  reach  the  re- 
sults given  in  the  multiplication  table;  but  how  great  is 
the  advantage  to  him  of  having  in  that  table  presented  to 
him  in  compact  form  the  outcome  of  many  calculations. 
What  is  somewhat  pompously  styled  "The  Inductive 
Method"  of  studying  the  Bible  is  now  in  vogue,  and  to 
some  extent  this  is  commendable.  But  when,  as  is  too 
much  the  case,  the  study  of  formulated  principles  pur- 
porting to  be  scriptural  is  decried,  a  false  independence 
is  displayed,  and  such  as  would  be  deemed  absurd  in  the 
study  of  natural  science  or  of  languages.  A  Greek  lexi- 
con is  not  a  final  authority  as  to  the  meaning  of  a  Greek 
word,  because  there  may  be  always  an  appeal  from  the 
lexicon  to  the  usage  of  Greek  writers ;  but  to  deny  for 
this  reason  the  utility  of  a  lexicon  would  be  very  unwise. 
Not  less  unwise  is  it  to  disparage  the  use  of  a  catechism 
because  appeal  from  it  to  the  Bible  is  always  admissible. 
In  asking  any  one  to  study  the  catechism,  we  virtually 
ask  him  to  study  the  Bible.  In  effect  we  say  to  him, 
"Here  are  certain  things  which  we  believe  to  be  taught 
in  the  Word  of  God.  Search  and  see  whether  our  belief 
is  correct,  or  not."  One  benefit  resulting  from  the  use  of 
a  catechism  is  that  thus  principles  and  precepts,  being 
presented  in  compact  form,  are  with  comparative  ease 
grasped  by  the  intellect  and  retained  by  the  memory.  The 
truth  learned  is  thus  classified,  labeled,  and  placed  within 
ready  reach.  The  catechism  becomes  in  a  sense  a  "Ready 
Reckoner,"  yielding  prompt  help  in  an  emergency.  For 
reasons  now  given,  and  others  which  might  be  given,  the 
writer  earnestly  desires  to  promote  the  study  of  the 
Shorter  Catechism,  the  best,  in  his  opinion,  ever  pre- 
pared. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  13 


PART   FIRST. 

INTRODUCTION. 

QUESTION  I. 
What  is  the  chief  end  of  man? 

ANSWER. 
Man's  chief  end  is  to  glorify  God  and  to  en- 
joy Him  forever. 

Q.  I.  In  this  question  and  answer  what  is  assumed, 
or  pre-supposed? 

A.     a.  That  there  is  a  being  called  man  ; 
h.  That  there  is  a  being  called  God ; 

c.  That  man  may  exist  for  different  ends ; 

d.  That  there  is  a  chief  end  of  his  being,  or  one 

to  which  the  others  are  subordinate. 

Q.  2.  What  word  is  used  to  denote  the  denial  that 
there  is  a  living,  personal  God? 

A.     Atheism. 

Q.  3.     Has  this  doctrine  ever  been  avowed  by  any? 

A.  Yes,  by  some  both  in  ancient  and  in  modern 
times. 

Q.  4.  What  is  the  difference  between  speculative 
or  theoretical,  and  practical  atheism  ? 

A.  The  former  is  the  direct  denial  of  the  proposi- 
tion that  there  is  a  God.  The  latter  is  the  denial  of  the 
same  in  our  life  and  conduct.  He  is  a  practical  atheist 
who  feels  and  acts  as  if  there  was  no  God.  Ps.  53  :i ;  Tit. 
1:16. 

Q.  5.  What  softer  term  has  been  used  of  late  to  ex- 
press a  state  of  doubt  touching  the  existence  of  God? 


14  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 


A.  Agnosticism,  derived  from  two  Greek  words 
meaning  "not  to  know." 

Q.  6.     Who  is  an  agnostic? 

A,  Anyone  who  professes  inability  either  to  deny, 
or  to  affirm,  that  there  is  a  God.* 

Q.  7.  Is  there  good  reason  to  suspect  that,  to  avoid 
odium,  some  who  are  really  atheists  profess  to  be  agnos- 
tics? 

A.     There  is  ground  for  this  suspicion. 

Q.  8.     What  is  pantheism? 

A.  The  behef  that  everything  is  God,  or  that  God  is 
the  sum  total  of  being. 

Q.  9.     Is  pantheism  fundamentally  atheism? 

A.  Yes.  The  atheist  admits  all  that  the  pantheist 
claims,  but  does  not  dignify  his  conception  with  the  name 
of  God. 

Q.  ID.     Show  the  immoral  tendency  of  pantheism. 

A.  According  to  this  doctrine,  every  impulse  of  the 
heart  is  merely  a  throb  of  Divinity,  while  man,  being, 
according  to  it,  the  highest  manifestation  of  the  Divine 
whole,  is  and  can  be  under  no  law  of  moral  obligation. 
He  is  a  law  to  himself. 

Q.  II.  Prove  that  there  is  a  supreme,  self -existent, 
intelligent  being  distinct  from  the  universe — in  brief,  that 
there  is  a  God. 

A.  a.  Something  now  exists;  but,  if  so,  something 
must  always  have  existed,  for  the  non- 
existent can  never  originate  anything. 

b.  In  the  things  which  we  know  to  exist  there 

are  marks  of  design,  ends  being  attained 
by  contrivances  of  consummate  ingenuity. 
But  design,  or  plan,  implies  mind.  There 
must  be  an  intelligent  agent  behind  the 
stupendous  frame  of  the  universe. 

c.  There  is  an  irrepressible  tendency  in  the  hu- 

man race  to  believe  in  some  mysterious 

*See  Note  i  at  the  close  of  the  treatment  of  Question  I. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  15 

superintending  power.  Even  when  the 
thought  of  such  a  being  is  most  unwel- 
come, it  can  hardly  be  cast  off.  If  there 
is  no  such  controlling  power,  the  very- 
foundation  of  our  being  is  a  lie. 

d.  The  Bible  can  never  be  accounted  for  unless 

on  the  assumption  that  there  is  a  God. 
Whatever  proofs  can  be  mustered  of  the 
truth  of  the  Bible,  and  these  are  many 
and  mighty,  are  proofs  of  the  existence 
of  God. 

e.  No  one  is  warranted  to  say  that  there  is  no 

God  unless  he  has  searched  all  time  and 
space,  and  failed  to  find  proof  of  His  ex- 
istence. But  he  who  can  make  such 
search  is  himself  God. 
/.  There  is  a  large  number  of  human  beings, 
and  these  the  most  intelligent  and  moral 
of  the  race,  who  are  as  firmly  persuaded 
of  the  existence  of  God  as  they  are  of 
their  own  existence;  and  whose  persua- 
sion of  this  is  strongest  when  their  life 
is  purest.  Here  is  a  fact  to  be  dealt  with 
by  the  atheist  and  agnostic. 

Q.  12.     How  can  God  be  glorified?* 

A.  a.  Not  by  being  rendered  glorious;  for  He 
is  in  Himself  infinitely  and  immutably 
glorious.  His  essential  glory  can  neither 
be  increased  nor  diminished.  Before  the 
universe  was  created  He  was  as  glorious 
as  He  is  now. 
&.  God  glorifies  Himself  when  He  exhibits  to 
created  intelligences  His  perfections.  Ps. 
19:1-4;  145:10;  Eph.  3:10. 
c.  God  is  glorified  when  He  is  seen  and  ac- 
knowledged by  His  creatures  to  be  excel- 
lent without  limit. 

*See  Note  2  at  the  end  of  the  treatment  of  Question  I. 


16  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

d.  God  is  glorified  when  His  creatures  extol 
and  commend  Him  as  unspeakably  great 
and  good.  Ps.  50:23,  Summarily  it  may 
be  said  that  the  intrinsic,  or  essential, 
glory  of  God  is  ever  the  same,  but  that 
the  manifestation  of  this  glory  admits  of 
degrees. 

Q.  13.     How  may  and  should  we  glorify  God? 

A.  a.  By  exercising  faith  in  Christ  as  He  is  offered 
to  us  in  the  gospel.  Till  this  step  is  taken 
we  are  in  antagonism  to  God.  Jno.  3  136 ; 
3:18;  I  Jno.  5:10. 
h.  By  rendering  hearty  homage  to  Him  in  wor- 
shipping Him  as  He  directs.  Ps.  96:7-9; 
100 :4. 

c.  By  using  the  means  appointed  by  Him  for 

bringing  our  fellowmen  to  a  hearty  ac- 
ceptance of  His  salvation  and  sway.  Ps. 
105:1;  67:2-4;  Matt.  28:19,  20. 

d.  In   general   by  hearty  obedience   to  all   His 

commands,  as  His  commands.  Matt.  5 : 
16;  7:21;  Jno.  14:21,  23;  15:8. 

Q.  14.  What  is  meant  by  the  expression  "chief 
end"? 

A.  a.  Not  the  purpose  of  God  in  creating  man ;  but 
h.  The  end  for  which  man  should  strive. 

Q.  15.  What  objection  is  there  to  the  interpreta- 
tion that  "chief  end"  means  the  aim  of  God  in  making 
man? 

A.  Because  of  the  added  clause  in  the  answer,  "and 
to  enjoy  Him  forever." 

Q.  16.     How  does  this  clause  modify  the  meaning? 

A.  If  it  was  God's  purpose  that  all  men  should  "en- 
joy Him  forever,"  then  all  men  must  so  enjoy  Him;  for 
"His  counsel  shall  stand."  But,  as  is  afterwards  taught 
in  this  Catechism,  all  men  shall  not  enjoy  Him  forever. 
Therefore  it  cannot  have  been  the  purpose  of  God  that 
they  should. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  17 

Q.I 7.     Is  the  purpose  of  God  the  rule  of  duty  to  us? 

A.  No.  The  precept,  or  command,  of  God  is  the 
rule  of  duty.    Ps.  119 :5,  6,  etc. ;  i  Jno.  5  :3 ;  3  :24. 

Q.  18.     What  is  it  to  enjoy  God? 

A.  To  have  fellowship  with  Him  and  to  delight  in 
Him.     Ps.  73  :25  ;  27  4. 

Q.  19.     How  long  is  God  to  be  enjoyed? 

A.  Forever.  Matt.  25  146;  2  Cor.  5  :i7;  i  Thess.  4:17. 
The  knowledge  that  it  should  come  to  an  end  would  mar 
present  enjoyment. 

Q.  20.  Why  may  the  glorifying  and  the  enjoying  of 
God  be  counted  one  end,  not  two  ends? 

A.  Because  he  who  desires  to  glorify  God  desires 
also  to  enjoy  Him,  and  he  who  desires  to  enjoy  God 
feels  the  impulse  to  glorify  Him.  The  two  desires,  al- 
though distinguishable  in  thought,  are  inseparable  in  fact. 

Q.  21.  Does  God  require,  or  warrant,  us  to  be  will- 
ing to  perish  for  His  glory? 

A.  No.  He  requires  us  to  love  ourselves,  but  to  be 
willing  to  perish  is  incompatible  with  a  lawful  love  of 
ourselves.  Moreover,  to  perish  involves  the  idea  of  being 
at  variance  with  God  eternally.  The  idea  of  being  will- 
ing to  glorify  God  by  hating  Him  is  absurd.  Besides, 
He  commands  us  to  seek  first  the  Kingdom  of  God,  the 
forgiveness  of  our  sins,  and  deliverance  from  evil. 

Q.  22.  What  does  the  expression  "chief  end" 
imply? 

A.  That  there  are  other,  but  subordinate,  ends,  for 
which  man  may  properly  live  and  strive. 

Q.  23.     Mention  some  of  these  subordinate  ends. 

A.  The  procuring  of  temporal  support;  the  acqui- 
sition of  knowledge;  the  gratification  of  lawful  tastes; 
and  the  furtherance  of  the  welfare  of  society;  but  these 
are  to  be  prosecuted  in  subservience  to  the  great  end, 
that  of  glorifying  God  and  enjoying  Him  forever. 

Q.  24.  In  order  to  glorify  God  must  we  be  always 
definitely  thinking  of  Him? 


18  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.  No.  But  the  habit  of  our  minds  must  be  to 
turn  with  reverence  and  pleasure  to  God.  As  the  needle 
to  the  pole,  our  hearts  must  be  attracted  to  Him.  i  Cor. 
10:31,* 

Q.  25.  How  may  the  charge,  that  in  seeking  His 
own  glory  God  is  selfish,  be  rebutted? 

A.  God  in  Himself,  and  He  alone,  is  infinitely  excel- 
lent. But  infinite  excellence  deserves  infinite  admiration. 
Therefore  it  is  a  part  of  God's  excellence  to  do  all  things 
for  His  own  glory,  and  to  require  all  His  intelligent 
creatures  to  set  this  before  them  as  their  chief  end. 

Q.  26.     Will  God  be  glorified  in  all  men? 

A.  Yes;  all  must  glorify  Him  either  actively  or 
passively.  Rom.  11:36;  9:22,  23;  Prov.  16:4.  He  will 
display  His  truth,  holiness,  and  justice  in  the  destruction 
of  the  wicked.  In  those  who  are  saved,  all  His  perfec- 
tions, but  especially  His  love,  are  displayed,  while  those 
thus  rescued  shall  never  cease  to  feel  and  reveal  His 
glory. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO   MEMORY. 

Prov.  16:4;  Is.  43:21;  Rom.  11:36;  i  Cor.  10:31; 
Col.  3:17;  Rev.  4:11. 


Note  I. 

The  late  Professor  Thomas  H.  Huxley  (1825-1895) 
was  the  first  to  employ  this  word  "agnostic"  to  express 
the  position  of  one  who  is  not  prepared  either  to  assert 
or  to  deny  that  there  is  a  God.  The  state  of  mind  which 
it  indicates  is  seemingly  very  humble,  but  really  very 
arrogant.  It  is  the  latter,  because  it  is  a  declaration  vir- 
tually on  the  part  of  those  who  assume  the  title  that  they 
are  too  sagacious  and  cautious  to  assent  to  the  almost 
universal  opinion  of  the  race.  It  has  in  it  the  impiety  of 
atheism  and  the  pretension  to  pre-eminent  judicial  fair- 
ness.    Under  cover  of  it  men  may  indulge  an  atheistic 

*See  Note  3  at  the  end  of  Question  I. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  19 

spirit  without  incurring  the  odium  which  happily  still 
attaches  to  the  name  "atheist."  In  fact  agnosticism  is 
merely  cowardly  atheism. 

Note  II. 

A  question  which  has  called  forth  some  discussion 
may  be  noticed  here,  namely :  Is  the  idea  that  there  is 
a  God  an  intuitive  truth? 

In  order  to  an  intelligent  treatment  of  this  question 
it  is  necessary  to  determine  the  meaning  of  the  word 
"intuitive."  According  to  Dr.  McCosh  in  his  elaborate 
treatise  on  "Intuitions,"  an  intuition  is  a  conviction  of  the 
human  mind  self-evident,  that  is,  not  reached  by  a  pro- 
cess of  reasoning;  universal,  that  is,  felt  by  all  sane  men; 
and  necessary,  that  is,  admitting  no  rational  contradiction. 

Understanding  the  word  "intuitive"  as  meaning  a 
truth  self-evident,  universally  recognized,  even  if  sup- 
pressed, and  one  forcing  itself  on  all  possessed  of  mental 
sanity,  I  am  not  prepared  to  say  that  the  idea  of  the  ex- 
istence of  God  is  intuitive.  But  the  human  mind  is  so 
constituted  as  to  reach  readily  the  conclusion  that  beyond 
and  over  the  things  perceptible  by  the  senses  there  is  a 
Being  Who  controls  all  and  to  Whom  we  are  accountable. 
In  the  "Larger  Catechism"  prepared  by  the  Westminster 
Assembly  the  answer  to  the  second  question  begins  thus, 
"The  very  light  of  nature  in  man  and  the  works  of  God 
declare  plainly  that  there  is  a  God";  but  this  statement 
may  fairly  be  understood  to  mean,  not  that  the  existence 
of  God  is  discerned  by  direct  intuition,  but  that  we  are 
so  made  as  readily  to  recognize  His  existence.  In  Rom. 
I  :i9  it  is  said  in  reference  to  men  that  what  "may  be 
known  of  God  is  manifest  in  them";  but  this  thought  is 
carried  on  and  explained  in  v.  20,  where  it  is  added  that 
"the  invisible  things  of  Him  from  (or  since)  the  creation 
of  the  world  are  clearly  seen."  This  seems  to  hint  that 
the  conclusion  that  there  is  a  God  is  reached  by  inference, 
although  very  readily  attained.  The  mysterious  faculty 
of  conscience,  which  reproaches  when  it  is  disregarded, 


20  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

and  approves  when  it  is  heeded  and  obeyed,  points  very 
emphatically  to  a  supreme  lawgiver  and  judge.  The  sum 
of  the  thoughts  now  advanced  is  this,  that  while  the 
conviction  that  there  is  a  God  is  not  directly  intuitional, 
as  are  the  axioms  of  mathematics,  yet  there  are  principles 
in  the  human  mind  and  indications  in  the  external  world 
which  very  naturally  and  forcibly  lead  to  that  grand  con- 
ception and  conviction.  In  this  way  may  be  accounted 
for  the  almost  universal  belief  in  an  intelligent  superin- 
tending Power  and,  at  the  same  time,  the  avowed  denial 
of  such  superintendence  by  some. 

Note  III. 

Some  worthy  people  have  been  perplexed  about  the 
direction  given  in  i  Cor.  10:31:  "Whether,  therefore, 
ye  eat  or  drink,  or  whatsoever  ye  do,  do  all  to  the  glory  of 
God."  Supposing  this  to  mean  that  in  all  our  acts  we 
must  have  conscious  reference  to  God,  they  have  felt  that 
either  the  precept  is  unreasonable,  or  that  they  must  be 
destitute  of  true  spirituality. 

Touching  this  difficulty  it  may  suffice  to  remark : 

1.  That  the  injunction  in  question  requires  that  we 
have  the  thought  of  God  consciously  very  often  present 
in  our  minds; 

2.  That,  therefore,  the  habitual  attitude  of  our  minds 
should  be  toward  God ; 

3.  That  yet  we  are  not  required  to  be  incessantly 
thinking  about  God.  Our  mental  constitution  forbids 
this.  But  a  subconscious  reference  to  God  is  possible 
and  obligatory.  A  man  may  be  controlled  in  his  conduct 
by  some  desire  even  when  the  object  of  desire  may  be 
for  a  time  forgotten.  For  instance,  one  starts  upon  a 
journey  to  a  certain  place,  and  every  step  he  takes  is  con- 
trolled by  the  desire  to  reach  that  place ;  and  yet  his  mind 
meanwhile  may  be  directly  occupied  with  a  thousand  in- 
cidents and  scenes  which  present  themselves  in  the  way. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  21 

QUESTION  II. 

What  rule  hath  God  given  to  direct  us  how 
we  may  glorify  and  enjoy  Him? 

ANSWER. 

The  Word  of  God,  which  is  contained  in  the 
Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments,  is 
the  only  rule  to  direct  us  how  we  may  glorify 
and  enjoy  Him. 

Q.  I.  What  is  assumed,  or  presupposed,  in  this 
question? 

A.  It  is  assumed  that  we  need  a  rule  to  guide  us, 
and  it  is  implied  that  God  has  given  such  a  rule. 

Q.  2.  Did  man  always  need  a  rule  to  direct  him  how 
to  glorify  and  enjoy  God? 

A.  No;  at  least  not  in  the  sense  of  an  external  rule. 
Our  first  parents  by  the  moral  constitution  with  which 
they  were  created  possessed  an  adequate  knowledge  of 
their  duty,  and,  with  this  knowledge,  holy  tendencies. 
Eccl.  7  :29.  Even  in  his  fallen  state  man  has  not  lost  all 
knowledge  of  his  duty,  although  he  has  lost  all  holy  in- 
clination.   Rom.  2:14,  15;  8:7. 

Q.  3.  Did  not  God  make  an  outward  discovery  both 
of  privilege  and  duty  to  Adam  when  He  instructed  him 
as  to  the  tree  of  knowledge? 

A,  Yes.  But  that  instruction  was  given  with  a 
view  to  his  advancement  to  a  higher  standing,  and  was 
not  requisite  otherwise. 

Q.  4.  Does  man,  as  fallen,  need  an  outward  rule  to 
direct  him  in  duty? 

A.  Yes.  By  reason  of  the  fall,  and  the  consequent 
rise  of  evil  appetites  and  passions,  the  mind  of  man  has 
largely,  not  totally,  lost  a  knowledge  of  duty.  Besides, 
he  needs  to  know  the  way  of  salvation,  ,of  which  as 
created  he  had  neither  knowledge  nor  need.  Rom.  i  :I9, 
21,  28;  Eph.  2:12;  4:18;  5:8. 


22  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  5.  What  has  God  given  to  show  us  how  we  may 
glorify  and  enjoy  Him? 

A.     The  Scriptures.    2  Tim.  3:15,  17;  Ps.  119:105. 

Q.  6.  Have  men  in  all  ages  since  the  fall  possessed 
the  Scriptures? 

A.  No.  Till  the  time  of  Moses  there  was  no  writ- 
ten revelation  of  the  will  of  God  given  to  our  race.  Luke 
24:27,  44;  16:29;  Rom.  3:2. 

Q.  7.  Was  there,  then,  no  discovery  made  of  the 
will  of  God  from  the  date  of  the  fall  till  the  time  of 
Moses?  ] 

A.  During  this  time  sundry  communications  were 
made  by  God  to  man.  Even  before  the  expulsion  of 
Adam  and  Eve  from  the  garden,  intimations  of  salvation 
were  made  to  them.  Through  Enoch,  Noah,  Abraham, 
and  others,  God  made  known  to  men  the  way  of  duty 
and  of  peace.  Gen.  5:24;  Jude  vv.  14,  15;  i  Pet.  3:19; 
Gen.  9:1-17;  12:1-3;  49:10. 

Q.  8.  What  is  the  literal  meaning  of  the  word 
"Scriptures?" 

A.     Writings. 

Q.  g.  Are  the  writings  of  which  the  Bible  consists 
styled  by  Christ  and  their  composers  "the  Scripture" 
and  "the  Scriptures"? 

A,  Yes.  See  Matt.  21:42;  22:29;  Luke  24:27,  45; 
Jno.  5:39;  10:35;  2  Tim.  3:15,  16. 

Q.  10.     Why  are  these  writings  so  spoken  of? 

A.  To  indicate  their  unique  character  and  pre-emi- 
nent value. 

Q.  II.  What  is  the  literal  meaning  of  the  word 
"Testament"? 

A.  It  means  a  will,  that  is,  a  legal  document  in 
which  a  man  declares  how  he  wishes  his  property  to  be 
disposed  of  after  his  death. 

Q.  12.  Is  there  any  resemblance  between  the  method 
in  which  God  conveys  to  men  the  blessings  of  salvation 
and  that  in  which  earthly  property  is  conveyed  by  a  will? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  23 

A.  Yes.  Salvation  is  inherited,  not  purchased,  by 
those  who  receive  it  (Matt,  25:34;  i  Pet.  i  -.3,  4),  and  its 
blessings  are  not  only  the  sequel,  but  the  result  and  fruit, 
of  a  death,  even  that  of  Jesus  Christ,     Heb.  9:15-20. 

Q.  13.  May  the  word  "covenant"  be  substituted  for 
"testament"  in  almost  every  occurrence  of  the  latter  in 
our  "authorized"  version  of  the  Scriptures? 

A.  Yes;  perhaps  in  every  instance,  except  in  Heb. 
9:16,  17. 

Q.  14.  What  is  meant  by  the  phrase,  "the  Scrip- 
tures of  the  Old  Testament"? 

A.  Those  writings  given  by  God  through  inspired 
men  before  the  death  of  Christ  for  the  benefit  of  the 
Church  till  the  end  of  time.     Rom.  15:4;  Heb.  i  :i. 

Q.  15.  What  is  meant  by  the  phrase,  "the  Scriptures 
of  the  New  Testament"  ? 

A.  The  writings  furnished  by  God  after  the  death 
of  Christ  through  inspired  men  to  form  with  the  Old 
Testament  a  permanent  rule  of  faith  and  morals.  Col. 
4:16;  2  Pet.  3:16;  Acts  I  :i2;  Rev.  22:16,  18,  19. 

Q.  16.  Is  there  any  part  of  these  writings  that  is 
not  a  part  of  the  Word  of  God? 

A.  No.  As  originally  given  they  were  the  pure 
Word  of  God,  and,  with  the  exception  of  some  varia- 
tions, most  of  them  unimportant,  which  have  crept  in 
through  transcription,  they  exist  as  originally  produced. 
With  marvellous  care,  and  guarded  by  the  special  provi- 
dence of  God,  they  have  been  handed  down  to  us.* 

Q.  17.  What  is  meant  by  calling  the  Scriptures  the 
"Word  of  God"? 

A.  That  the  writers  of  them  were  supernaturally 
qualified  and  impelled  to  convey  to  the  world  the  mind 
of  God  as  to  His  character  and  the  condition,  privileges, 
and  duty  of  men. 

Q.  18.     What  is  the  doctrine  thus  enunciated  called? 

A,     The  doctrine  of  plenary,  or  verbal,  inspiration. 

*See  Note  at  the  end  of  Question  II. 


24  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  19.  May  the  Scriptures  reasonably  be  adduced  to 
testify  touching  their  own  inspiration? 

A.  Yes ;  when  their  general  credibility  has  been  es- 
tablished, they  may  warrantably  be  called  as  witnesses  in 
the  case. 

Q.  20.  How  may  the  general  credibility  of  the  Bible 
be  established? 

A.  By  many  concurrent  lines  of  proof,  a  few  of 
which  are  these : 

a.  Truthfulness  is  inculcated  and  falsehood  con- 

demned in  these  writings ; 

b.  The  misdeeds  of  those  who  are  held  up  to 

view  as  saints  are  neither  concealed,  nor 
palliated.  The  sins,  for  example,  of  Noah, 
Abraham,  Jacob,  Moses,  David,  and  the 
Apostles  are  with  unswerving  impartial- 
ity recorded; 

c.  The    fearless    independence   with    which    the 

writers  express  themselves,  and  the  in- 
stances of  apparent  mutual  contradiction 
which  occur  in  their  productions,  while 
close  search  discovers  harmony,  beget 
confidence  in  the  veracity  of  all ; 

d.  Although  in  course  of  production  for  a  period 

of  about  1,500  years,  these  writings  are 
marked  by  fundamental  unity  of  thought, 
a  fact  fitted  to  beget  confidence  in  the  en- 
tire collection  as  the  product  of  one  pre- 
siding mind; 

e.  The    portraiture    of    Christ    bears    marks    of 

supernatural  origin.  The  authors  of  this 
delineation  were  not  marked  by  scholar- 
ship or  literary  skill;  yet  the  figure  they 
have  portrayed  transcends  in  consistency, 
in  moral  dignity,  and  beauty  anything  else 
in  the  annals  of  literature; 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  25 


/.  The  very  calmness,  self-possession,  and  self- 
restraint  of  the  authors  of  this  unrivalled 
delineation  evince  supernatural  elevation 
and  control; 
g.  Statements    of    Scripture    which    were    once 
rudely  challenged  are  every  year  receiv- 
ing   confirmation    from    antiquarian    re- 
search ; 
h.  The  plan  of  salvation  unfolded  in  these  writ- 
ings is  too  bold  ever  to  have  been  con- 
ceived by  the  unaided  mind  of  man ; 
i.  The    refining   and   uplifting   influence    of   the 
Bible,  as  attested  in  all  lands  where  it  has 
been  received,  is  an  evidence  of  its  Di- 
vine origin ; 
y.  Either  the  Bible  is  true  and  from  God,  or  else 
it  is  the  most  cunning,  and,  at  the  same 
time,   most    daring   forgery   of   the   ages. 
There  is  no  middle  ground  in  the  case. 
Q.  21.     May  not  a  rational  conviction  of  the  Divine 
origin  and  authority  of  the  Scriptures  be  reached  with- 
out elaborate  investigation? 

A.  The  Word,  if  not  obstructed  by  irrational  preju- 
dice, commends  itself  to  the  conscience  and  heart  of  men 
as  true  and  good.    2  Cor.  4 :2 ;  2  Thess.  2  :io. 

Q.  22.  That  the  Scriptures  may  be  savingly  appre^ 
hended  and  appreciated,  what  is  necessary? 

A.  Spiritual  insight  into  the  meaning  of  the  Scrip- 
tures and  relish  for  them  can  be  had  only  by  the  gracious 
operation  of  the  Spirit  on  the  soul.  Ps.  119:18;  Jno.  3:3; 
Acts  16:14;  Eph.  1:17-19;  I  Thess.  1:5. 

Q.  23.  What  have  the  Scriptures  to  say  on  the  ques- 
tion of  their  own  inspiration? 

A.  They  claim  to  be  given  by  God  through  men, 
and  to  be  free  from  all  error  and  entitled  to  implicit  con- 
fidence and  obedience  as  the  Word  of  God. 

Q.  24.  What  witness  does  Christ  bear  to  the  inspi- 
ration of  the  Old  Testament? 


26  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.  a.  The  Jews  generally  in  the  time  of  Christ's  so- 
journ among  men  held  the  view  that  their 
sacred  writings  had  been  produced  by 
men  divinely  inspired.  Matt.  2:5,  6;  5:17; 
7:12;  12:35;  15:7-9;  19:4-7;  21:42;  22:43- 
46;  Jno.  10:34-36;  Luke  16:29;  20:37,  39; 
Acts  17:11;  28:23.  Yet,  in  addressing 
those  holding  such  an  estimate  of  those 
writings,  Christ  never  spoke  a  word  of 
caution  on  the  subject,  but,  on  the  con- 
trary, sanctioned  their  belief  in  this  par- 
ticular. Matt  5:17,  18;  8:4;  II  :io,  13;  12: 
3,  5,  40,  42;  15:3,  4,  7;  19:4-6;  21:13,  42; 
22:29,  31,  32,  43-45;  24:15;  26:24;  Mark 
2:25  ,26;  7:6,  7,  10,  13;  11:17;  Luke  4:21, 
25-27;  17:26-29;  18:31;  24:25-27;  Jno.  5: 
39,46;  10:34-36;  13:18. 
b.  Our  Lord  quotes  the  Old  Testament  on  dif- 
ferent occasions  as  an  infallible  standard 
of  truth  and  duty.  Matt.  4:4,  7,  10;  12: 
40;  15:4;  21:42;  22:29;  24:38,  39;  26:54; 
Jno.  10:34-36. 

Q.  25.  Do  the  writers  of  the  New  Testament  recog- 
nize the  Divine  origin  and  authority  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment writings? 

A.     Yes,  in  different  ways.     For  instance : 

a.  Stress  is  laid  by  them  (as  by  Christ  Himself) 

on  particular  words  and  phrases  occur- 
ring in  the  Old  Testament,  i  Cor.  15:27, 
28;  Rom.  4:3;  10:11;  Gal.  3:11,  12,  16; 
Eph.  4:8,  9;  Heb.  2:8;  8:13;  12:27;  i  Pet. 
3:6. 

b.  Terms    suggestive    of    Divine    authority   and 

origin  are  used  to  describe  the  Old  Testa- 
ment. Acts  7 :38 ;  Rom.  3  :2 ;  Heb.  5:12;  2 
Tim.  3  :i5-i7;  i  Pet.  i  :io,  11 ;  2  Pet.  i  :20, 
21. 


THE  SHORTER   CATECHISM  27 


Q.  26.  How  may  the  Divine  inspiration  o£  the  New 
Testament  be  proved? 

A.     a.  A  presumptive  argument  for  the  inspiration 
of    the    New    Testament    may   be    stated 
thus : — If  the  Old  Testament  was  inspired, 
as  seems  to  be  taught  in  the  New,  surely 
the  great  things  with  which  the  New  deals 
required   and   received   for  their   convey- 
ance like  distinction ; 
h.  This  presumption  is  strengthened  by  the  fact 
that  Christ  made  promise  to  His  disciples 
of  supernatural  help  to  act  as   His  wit- 
nesses.   Matt.  10:18-20;  Mark  13:11;  Jno. 
14:26;  15:26;  16:12-14;  Acts  1:8; 
c.  The  calmness,  the  self-restraint,  and  at  the 
same  time  the  authoritative  tone  of  the 
writers  of  the  New  Testament  are  utterly 
unacountable,  unless  on  the  principle  that 
they  were  supernaturally  guided  in  their 
work  by  the  Spirit  of  God. 
Q.  27.     Are  the  Scriptures  the  only  infallible  rule  of 
faith  and  morals? 

A.  This  they  claim  to  be,  and  their  claim,  if  they 
are  inspired,  is  indisputable.  Ps.  19:7,  8;  119:9,  11,  105; 
Is.  8:20;  Matt.  22:29;  Luke  16:29;  Jno.  5:39;  2  Tim.  3: 

15-17. 

Q.  28.     What  is  rationalism? 

A.  It  is  the  doctrine  that  human  reason  is  our  pro- 
per guide  in  matters  of  faith  and  morals. 

Q.  29.  What  is  the  province  of  reason  in  matters  of 
religion? 

A.  a.  Reason  is  of  use  in  deciding  as  to  the  evi- 
dence adduced  in  favor  of  any  religion.  It 
can  weigh,  for  instance,  the  evidence  used 
to  prove  the  Divine  origin  of  the  Bible; 
h.  Reason  is  of  use  in  ascertaining  the  import  of 
statements  made  in  any  alleged  revela- 
tion, such  as  the  Bible; 


28  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

c.  Reason   may,  within   certain   limits,   exercise 
what  may  be  called  a  "veto  power,"  for- 
bidding the  acceptance  of  dogmas  that  are 
self-contradictory,  or  contradictory  of  as- 
certained truth. 
Q.  30.     Is  there  not  great  need  to  guard  against  ar- 
rogant and  rash  decisions  of  reason  in  the  sphere  of  re- 
ligion? 

A.     Yes.     Unitarianism  is  one  evidence  of  the  need 
of  caution. 

Q.    31.     What    is    the    Roman    Catholic    "Rule    of 
Faith"? 

A.     This  is  somewhat  complex,  embracing  the  fol- 
lowing items : 

a.  The  Bible,  but  the  Bible  with  several  apocry- 

phal additions  to  the  Old  Testament; 

b.  Tradition,  that  is,  certain  alleged  teachings  of 

Christ  and  the  Apostles,  not  recorded  in 
Scripture,  but  transmitted  orally,  and  en- 
dorsed by  the  Church,  that  is,  the  rulers 
of  it; 

c.  Decisions  given  by  the  Pope  officially  in  all 

matters  of  faith  and  morals.  This  third 
item  was  definitely  declared  in  1870. 

TEXTS  TO  BE   COMMITTED  TO   MEMORY. 

Ps.  19:7;  119:11,  105;  Is.  8:20;  Matt.  22:29;  Luke 
16:29-31 ;  Acts  17:11 ;  Rom.  3:1,  2;  2  Tim.  3  :i5-i7. 


Note. 
Some,  wishing  to  make  room  for  their  lax  views  as 
to  the  inspiration  of  the  Scriptures,  have  raised  the  quib- 
ble that  the  words,  "contained  in  the  Scriptures,"  were 
meant  to  convey  the  idea  that  the  Scriptures,  while  con- 
taining the  Word  of  God,  present  matter  aside  from  it; 
just  as  a  vessel  might  contain  a  gallon  of  water  and 
something  besides.  This,  however,  is  only  a  desperate 
and  despicable  quibble.     The  same  Assembly  which  pre- 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  29 

pared  the  Shorter  Catechism  drew  up  the  Confession  of 
Faith  and  the  Larger  Catechism.  In  the  Confession,  Ch. 
I.  Sec.  2,  after  an  enumeration  of  all  the  books  of  the 
Bible,  it  is  added,  "All  which  are  given  by  inspiration  of 
God  to  be  the  rule  of  faith  and  life."  Furthermore,  in 
"The  Larger  Catechism,"  in  answer  to  Question  3, 
"What  is  the  Word  of  God?"  it  is  said,  "The  holy  Scrip- 
tures of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  are  the  Word  of 
God,  the  only  rule  of  faith  and  obedience."  These  tes- 
timonies, not  to  quote  others,  are  sufficient  to  explode  the 
notion  now  under  review. 


QUESTION  III. 
What  do  the  Scriptures  principally  teach? 

ANSWER. 

The  Scriptures  principally  teach  what  man 
is  to  believe  concerning  God  and  what  duty  God 
requires  of  man. 

Q.  I.  To  what  general  heads  may  the  teachings  of 
Scripture  be  reduced? 

A.  Doctrine  and  duty;  or  what  we  are  to  believe, 
particularly  about  God,  and  what  He  enjoins  upon  us  as 
our  duty. 

Q.  2.  Is  there  anything  in  the  Bible  which  has  not  a 
bearing  on  these  two  heads? 

A.     No.    2  Tim.  3:15-17. 

Q.  3.  Yet  are  there  not  many  things  in  the  Bible 
which  are  comparatively  unimportant  and  incidental  to 
the  great  end  in  view? 

A.  Yes.  All  parts  of  Scripture  are  fitted  to  profit 
us;  but  all  are  not  of  equal  value  for  this  end. 

Q.  4.  Is  it  not  a  part  of  man's  duty  to  believe  what 
God  reveals  to  him  as  true? 

A.     Yes. 


30  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  5.  Is  not  this  emphatically  true  in  regard  to  the 
direct  teaching  of  Scripture  touching  salvation  by  Christ? 

A.     Yes.     I  Jno.  5:10. 

Q.  6.     Are  not  belief  and  practice  closely  related? 

A.  Yes.  Our  practice  will  on  the  whole  reveal  our 
real  belief.     Matt.  7:17.* 

Q.  7.  Is  it  our  duty  to  make  ourselves  acquainted 
with  the  doctrines  embodied  in  the  Word  of  God? 

A.  Yes;  not  to  seek  a  knowledge  of  these  is  to  im- 
pugn the  wisdom  of  God  in  the  preparation  of  His  Word. 

Q.  8.  How  may  acquaintance  with  the  doctrines 
taught  in  Scripture  be  gained? 

A.  a.  By  diligent  perusal  of  the  Scriptures.  Jno.  5 : 
39;  Acts  17:11; 

b.  By   prayer   to   God   for  the   opening  of  our 

minds  and  hearts  to  perceive  and  receive 
the  truth.    Ps,  119:18; 

c.  By  seeking  help  from  those  who  have  deeper 

knowledge    and    larger    experience    than 
ourselves.    Acts  10:33;  15:41;  18:26. 

TEXTS  TO  BE   COMMITTED  TO   MEMORY. 

2  Tim.  3:15-17;  I  Jno.  5:10,  39;  Matt.  7:17;  Acts 
17:11. 


Note. 
Pope's  oft-quoted  couplet, 

"For  points  of  faith  let  senseless  bigots  fight, 
His  can't  be  wrong  whose  life  is  in  the  right," 

is  admissible  in  a  certain  sense,  although,  if  so  under- 
stood, little  else  than  a  truism.  If  by  "life"  be  meant  the 
inner  attitude  and  aim  of  the  soul,  as  well  as  the  outward 
deportment,  or  a  man's  conduct  as  to  matter,  manner,  and 
motive,  we  would  accept  Pope's  sentiment  as  correct. 
But  if  by  "life"  be  understood,  as  is  generally  the  case, 

*See  Note  at  the  close  of  Question  III. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  31 

the  outward  demeanor,  we  must  reject  the  doctrine  which 
his  words  embody.  A  man's  life,  fairly  and  fully  under- 
stood, comprehends  his  bearing  toward  God.  A  man  sus- 
tains to  God  relations  weightier  by  far  than  those  which 
he  bears  to  his  fellow-man,  or  to  all  creatures  combined; 
and  any  estimate  of  a  man's  life  which  overlooks  those 
profounder  relations  is  utterly  incomplete  and  mistaken. 
No  man's  life  can  be  in  the  right  when  in  it  the, highest 
claims  of  duty  are  ignored,  or  when  the  creature  is  al- 
lowed to  supplant  the  Creator. 


32  AN -EXPOSITION  OF 


PART  SECOND. 

WHAT  MAN  IS  TO  BELIEVE  CONCERNING  GOD. 

QUESTION  IV. 
What  is  God? 

ANSWER. 

God  is  a  spirit,  infinite,  eternal,  and  un- 
changeable in  His  being,  wisdom,  power,  holi- 
ness, justice,  goodness,  and  truth. 

Q.  I.  What  two  items  are  embraced  in  this  defini- 
tion? 

A.  There  is  a  statement  as  to  the  essence,  or  gen- 
eral nature,  of  God,  namely  that  He  is  a  spirit ;  and  then 
the  distinctive  qualities,  or  characteristics,  of  this  spirit 
are  specified. 

Q.  2.  What  conceptions  as  to  spirit  are  warranta- 
ble? 

A.  a.  A  spirit  is  not  a  mere  attribute,  or  quality, 
but  a  substance,  that  is,  something  in 
which  qualities  inhere; 

b.  Spirit    is    not    a    material    substance    to    be 

weighed  or  measured  by  pounds  or  inches, 
or,  as  in  the  case  of  electricity,  by  force 
equivalents.  A  pound  or  a  foot  of  spirit 
is  as  unintelligible  as  a  pound  of  pain,  or 
of  pleasure,  or  of  hope.  Is.  31:3;  Luke 
24 :39- 

c.  The  power  of  thought  and  feeling  belongs  to 

all  spirit,  and  to  it  alone. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  33 

d.  To  some  spirits,  not  to  all,  belongs  the  power 
of     moral     discrimination.       Those,     and 
only  those,   so  gifted   are   moral   agents; 
and  the  only  created  moral  agents  known 
to  us  are  angels  and  men.* 
Q.  3.     What  is  meant  by  an  attribute  of  God? 
A.     An  attribute  of  God  is  a  characteristic  of  His 
essence,  or  a  quality  inseparable  from  His  being. 

Q.  4.  Are  there  in  God,  as  there  are  in  us,  any 
transient,  or  separable,  attributes? 

A.  No.  Immutability  is  one  of  His  characteristics. 
Mai.  3 :8. 

Q.  5.  Is  it  certain  that  all  of  God's  attributes  Eire 
made  known  to  us? 

A.  No.  He  may  have  some  of  which  we  have  no 
conceptions.    Is.  40:28;  45:15;  55:9;  Job  11:7. 

Q.  6.  Give  a  list  of  the  discoverable  attributes  of 
God. 

A.  Self-existence;  spirituality;  immensity  (that  is, 
infinity  of  being  as  regards  space)  ;  eternity  (that  is,  in- 
finity of  being  in  regard  to  duration)  ;  immutability  in 
respect  to  being,  attribute,  and  purpose ;  power ;  knowl- 
edge; holiness;  justice;  goodness,  or  benignity;  and 
truthfulness. 

Q.  7.     Can  these  attributes  be  logically  classified? 
A.     Many  attempts  in  this  line  have  been  made ;  but 
none  of  them  is  entirely  satisfactory. 

Q.  8.  Mention  some  of  these  attempts. 
A.  a.  Natural  and  moral,  the  natural  standing  for 
those  attributes,  such  as  immensity,  eter- 
nity, omnipotence,  which  do  not  imply  a 
moral  idea.  An  objection  to  this  classi- 
fication is  that  God's  moral  perfections 
are  as  natural  in  Him  as  are  His  so-called 
natural  perfections ; 

*See  Note  i  at  the  end  of  Question  IV. 


34  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

b.  Communicable  and  incommunicable,  the  com- 

municable being  such  as  can  be  imparted 
in  some  degree  to  a  creature.  To  this  it 
may  be  objected  that  even  the  moral  at- 
tributes cannot  be  communicated  to  a 
creature  in  an  infinite  degree ; 

c.  Attributes   pertaining  to    God   viewed,   first, 

simply  as  a  being;  second,  as  an  intellec- 
tual being;  and  third,  as  a  moral  being. 

d.  What  may  be  called  the  substantive  and  ad- 

jective arrangement,  the  former  including 
being,  wisdom,  power,  etc.,  and  the  latter 
embracing  the  qualifying  words,  "infinite, 
eternal,  and  unchangeable."    This  last  is, 
perhaps,  the  best. 
Q.  g.     What  word  is  used  to  signify  the  infinitude  of 
the  being  of  God  in  relation  to  space? 
A.     Immensity. 

Q.  10.     Prove  the  immensity  of  God. 
A.    a.  This  may  be  argued  from  the  fact  that  God  is 
unsearchable.    Job  11:7.     If  limited  as  to 
space,  He  might  in  that  respect  be  search- 
ed out  and  measured ; 
b.  It  is  expressly  taught  in  2  Chron.  6:18;  Ps. 
139:7;  Jer.  23:22,  24. 
Q.  II.     Are  we  to  believe  that  God  is  extended,  or 
diffused  through  space,  so  that  there  is  more  of  the  Di- 
vine essence  in  a  cubic  mile  than  in  a  cubic  inch  of  space? 
A.     No.    God  undivided  is  present  in  every  point  of 
space.    Jer.  23:23,  24;  Matt.  18:20. 

Q.  12.     Is  the  human  mind  able  to  understand  the 
relation  of  God  to  space? 
A.     No. 

Q.  13.     Is  the  doctrine  of  His  immensity,  then,  irra- 
tional? 

A.     No.     It  transcends  reason,  but  does  not  contra- 
dict it.     Being  unable  to  tell  how  God  stands  related  to 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  35 

space,  we  are  not  in  a  position  to  affirm  that  the  doctrine 
of  the  ubiquity  of  God  is  absurd.* 

Q.  14.  Is  the  statement  that  God  dwells  in  heaven  in 
conflict  with  the  doctrine  of  His  immensity? 

A.  No.  The  import  of  such  a  statement  is  that  God 
reveals  Himself  specially  in  the  place  indicated. 

Q.  15.  What  practical  influence  should  this  doctrine 
exert  ? 

A.  It  is  fitted  to  alarm  sinners  and  to  fill  at  once 
with  reverence  and  holy  confidence  the  friends  of  God. 
Gen.  17:1;  28:16,  17;  Ps.  139:7-10. 

Q.  16.     What  is  meant  by  the  eternity  of  God? 
A.     His  infinitude  in  respect  to  duration,  or  the  fact 
that  He  never  had  a  beginning  and  shall  never  have  an 
end. 

Q.  17.  How  does  the  eternity  of  God  differ  from 
that  of  every  other  being? 

A.     a.  It  is  without  beginning,  as  well  as  without 
end.     Ps.  41  :i3 ;  90 :2 ;  I  Tim.  i  :i7 ; 
h.  It  is  independent.    All  others  are  of  Him,  He 
of  none.    Rom.  11 :36;  i  Cor.  8:6. 
Q.  18.     Give  proof  that  God  is  thus  eternal. 
A.     a.  If  self-existent,  He  must  be  in  the  full  sense 
eternal ;  for  the  necessity  of  His  existence 
would  be  alike  in  all  duration.     But  He 
is  self-existent.     Ex.  3:14,    15;   Is.  42:8; 
Rev.  1 :4,  8,  11; 
h.  If  unsearchable.  He  must  be  from,  as  well  as 
to,  eternity.    But  He  is  unsearchable.   Ps. 
139:6;  Job  11:7-9; 
c.  The  Scriptures,  both  expressly  and  by  impli- 
cation, declare  the  eternity  of  God.     Gen. 
1:1;  Ex.  3:14;  Ps.  9:7;  41:13;  90:2;  93:2; 
Hab.  1:12;  Jno.  1:1-3;  5:26;  Rom.  16:26; 
I  Tim.  I  :i7;  6:16. 
Q.  19.     What  is  meant  by  the  immutability  of  God? 

*See  Note  2  at  the  end  of  Question  IV. 


36  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.  The  fact  that  He  is  independently  and  eternally 
the  same  in  respect  to  being-,  attribute,  and  purpose. 

Q.  20.     Prove  that  God  is  thus  unchangeable. 

A.  a.  If  self-existent.  He  must  be  unchangeable,  at 
least  in  His  being;  for,  as  self-existent, 
He  is  by  necessity  what  He  is ; 

b.  If  absolutely  perfect,  He  must  be  immutable ; 

for  in  that  case  He  cannot  change  for  the 
better,  and  will  not  change  for  the  worse ; 

c.  The  Scriptures  teach  the  doctrine  that  God  is 

immutable.  Numb.  23:19;  Ps.  102:27; 
Mai,  3:6;  Rom.  11:29;  Tit.  1:2;  Heb.  6: 
17;  Jas.  1:17. 

Q.  21.  Are  there  not  passages  in  Scripture  which 
represent  God  as  repenting  and,  if  so,  as  changing? 

A.  Yes,  He  is  said  to  repent.  Gen.  6:6,  7;  Jonah 
3:10. 

Q.  22.     Does  not  this  fact  imply  change  on  his  part? 

A.  It  implies  a  change,  not  of  purpose  or  of  charac- 
ter, but  only  of  outward  administration,  such  a  change 
as,  in  creatures,  might  indicate  a  change  of  mind.  In  the 
sense  of  change  of  mind  or  purpose  God  cannot  repent. 
Numb.  23:19. 

Q.  23.  Does  the  fact  of  atonement  imply  any  change 
in  God? 

A.  No.  It  was  God's  purpose  from  eternity  that 
atonement  should  be  made  and  sinners  be  thereby  saved. 
Jno.  3:16;  Eph.  1:4,  5,  9-1 1 ;  Tit.  1:2.  The  atonement  is 
the  highest  proof  of  God's  unchangeable  hatred  of  sin  and 
love  of  His  elect. 

Q.  24.  Is  not  prayer  founded  on  the  idea  that  God 
is  changeable? 

A.  No.  It  was  God's  everlasting  purpose  that  peti- 
tion on  our  part  and  the  bestowal  of  good  on  His  part 
should  be  conjoined.  Besides,  the  impulse  and  ability  to 
pray  aright  are  from  God,  which  implies  that  in  answer- 
ing us  He  is  doing  what  He  purposed. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  37 

Q.  25.  Is  there  any  difference  between  "wisdom" 
and  "knowledge"? 

A,  In  ordinary  usage  "knowledge"  is  a  word  em- 
ployed to  denote  the  perception  of  facts ;  while  "wisdom" 
signifies  the  ability  and  tendency  to  choose  right  ends 
and  right  means  for  attaining  those  ends. 

Q.  26.  In  what  sense  is  the  word  "wisdom"  to  be 
understood  in  the  answer? 

A.  Probably  in  the  sense  of  knowledge ;  but  knowl- 
edge combined  with  the  moral  attributes  enumerated  in 
the  latter  part  of  the  answer  becomes  wisdom. 

Q.  27.     How  may  the  knowledge  of  God  be  defined? 

A.  Calvin  has  defined  it  thus: — ''The  knowledge  of 
God  is  that  attribute  of  His  being  whereby  He  knows 
Himself  and  all  other  things  in  one  eternal  and  most  sim- 
ple act." 

Q.  28.     Is  the  knowledge  of  God  infinite? 

A.  Yes.  He  knows  all  things  that  have  been,  that 
are,  or  that  shall  be.  Above  all  He  knows  Himself.  Ps. 
139:1-4;  147:5;  Is.  40:28;  I  Cor.  2:10;  Heb.  4:13. 

Q.  29.     Is  the  knowledge  of  God  eternal? 

A.  Yes.  Acts  15:18;  Rom.  8:29;  Eph.  1:4,  11.  If 
He  Himself  is  eternal  and  immutable,  He  must  ever  have 
been  omniscient. 

Q.  30.  If  the  existence  of  the  universe  was  the  fruit 
of  a  decree  of  God,  how  could  He  before  decreeing  know 
that  it  would  exist? 

A.  Logically  the  decree  must  precede  the  knowl- 
edge of  it;  but  not  so  chronologically.  The  decree  and 
the  knowledge  of  it  are  to  be  deemed  alike  eternal. 

Q.  31.  Did  God  from  eternity  foreknow  the  acts  of 
all  moral  agents  whom  He  would  bring  into  being? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  32.     How  may  this  be  proved? 

A.  a.  If  immutable,  He  can  receive  in  the  lapse  of 
ages  no  addition  to  His  knowledge; 


38  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

b.  It  would  be  inconsistent  with  the  moral  ex- 

cellence of  God  to  originate  a  vast  multi- 
tude of  moral  agents  without  knowing 
perfectly  how  they  would  act? 

c.  In  His  Word  He  has  foretold  a  multitude  of 

acts  and  events  proceeding  from  the  vo- 
litions of  His  creatures.  Ex.  3:19,  20;  7: 
3,  4;  Ps.  22:18;  69:21;  Is.  44:28;  Luke 
22:31-34. 
Q.  33.  How  has  the  wisdom  of  God  been  mani- 
fested? 

A.  In  His  works  of  creation  and  providence.  Ps. 
8:9;  19:1;  92:5;  104:24;  107:8;  145:10-12. 

Q.  34.  In  what  work  has  His  wisdom  been  chiefly 
shown? 

A.     In  the  work  of  redemption,  or  the  method  of 
salvation.      Eph.  3:10;  Col.  2 :2,  3 ;  Eph.  i  :7-9 ;  i  Cor.  2  :y. 
Q.  35.     In  what  respects  does  God  display  in  this 
work  His  wisdom? 

A.  a.  In  making  our  sin  an  occasion  for  the  exhibi- 
tion of  His  perfections,  particularly  of 
His  goodness,  holiness,  and  justice; 

b.  In   honoring   His   law  by   the   very  way    in 

which  sinners  are  freed  from  its  penalty; 

c.  In  making  the  seeming  triumph  of  Satan  to 

be  the  irretrievable  defeat  of  that  crafty 
foe; 

d.  In  proclaiming  His  sovereignty  in  selecting, 

not  fallen  angels,  but  fallen  men,  and  of 
fallen  men  some  rather  than  others,  to  be 
the  objects  of  His  mercy. 
Q.  36.     What  attitude  is  taken  toward  the  wisdom 
of  God  by  those  who  reject  Christ  as  a  Saviour? 

A.  They  virtually  charge  God  with  consummate 
folly  in  providing  a  salvation  not  needed  by  us,  or  such 
a  Saviour  as  is  not  suited  to  our  need.  When  God  an- 
nounces Christ  as  the  Saviour,  and  the  only  one,  they 
practically  contradict  Him.     i  Jno.  5:10, 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  39 

Q.  37.     What  is  meant  by  the  power  of  God? 

A.  His  ability  to  do  whatever  He  pleases,  and  more 
than  He  ever  pleases  to  do. 

Q.  38.  Does  God  operate  as  a  blind,  unintelligent 
force  ? 

A.  No;  but  as  an  absolutely  free  and  sovereign 
agent.    Ps.  115  -.$-7 ;  Jno.  3:16;  Eph.  i  :^. 

Q.  39.  How  may  the  will  of  God  as  to  its  exercise 
be  viewed? 

A.  As  decretive  and  preceptive,  or  as  secret  and  re- 
vealed. 

Q.  40.     What  is  meant  by  the  decretive  will  of  God? 

A.     His  purposes. 

Q.  41.  What  is  meant  by  the  revealed  will  of  God? 
-A.     His  commands. 

Q.  42.  Which  of  these  forms  of  will  is  the  rule  of 
duty  to  us? 

A.  The  preceptive,  or  revealed,  will.  Deut.  29:29; 
Ps.  103:20;  Matt.  19:17;  5:19;  Jno.  14:21. 

Q.  43.  Can  God's  preceptive  will,  that  is,  His  com- 
mands, be  broken? 

A.  Yes.  All  sin  is  resistance  to  His  will  in  this 
sense.    Jas.  2:10;  i  Jno.  3:4. 

Q.  44.  Can  the  purpose  of  God  and  His  precept  ever 
really  clash? 

A.  No.  The  purpose  embraces  all  events.  The  pre- 
cept indicates  that  which  it  is  our  duty  to  do. 

Q.  45.  Was  it  the  purpose  of  God  that  Christ  should 
die  by  the  hands  of  men? 

A.     Yes.    Luke  9:22;  Acts  2:23;  3:17,  18. 

Q.  46.  Yet  in  the  perpetration  of  the  crucifixion  of 
Christ  was  not  the  law,  or  preceptive  will  of  God,  grossly 
trampled  upon? 

A,     Yes.    Acts  2:23. 

Q.  47,  Did  the  purpose  of  God  force  any  of  the  mur- 
derers of  Christ  to  imbue  their  hands  in  His  blood? 

A.  No.  They  acted  of  their  own  impulse  most 
freely. 


40  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  48.     Is  there  anything  which  God  cannot  do? 

A.  Yes.  He  cannot  lie.  He  cannot  deny  Himself, 
that  is,  do  anything  contrary  to  His  own  holy  nature. 
Heb.  6:18;  Tit.  1:2;  2  Tim.  2:13. 

Q.  49.  Does  this  inability  on  the  part  of  God  con- 
flict with  the  idea  of  His  omnipotence? 

A.  No.  There  is  omnipotence  in  His  recoil  from 
such  things. 

Q.  50.  Can  God  do  contradictions,  such  as  making 
a  thing  to  be  and  not  to  be  in  the  same  sense  at  the  same 
time? 

A.  No.  Such  conceptions  are  absurdities,  not  ob- 
jects of  power.  They  are  of  the  nature  of  falsehoods.  If 
infinite  power  could  be  exerted  on  both  sides  of  a  con- 
tradiction, the  result  would  be  nothing;  unless  the  ab- 
surdity could  be  realized  that  infinite  power  should  over- 
come infinite  power. 

Q.  51.     What  is  the  holiness  of  God? 

A.  The  holiness  of  God  is  that  quality  of  His  being 
in  virtue  of  which  He  regards  with  infinite  complacency 
His  own  character  as  just  and  good  and  true,  and  ab- 
hors the  contrary. 

Q.  52.     What  is  holiness  in  any  creature? 

A.  It  is  conformity  to  the  revealed  will  of  God.  His 
will  of  precept  is  the  standard  of  morality  to  all  created 
moral  agents.     Ps.  1:1,  2;  103:20;  119;  Matt.  6:10. 

Q.  53.  Is  a  state  of  mind,  or  an  act,  right  because 
God  commands  it? 

A.  To  creatures  the  expressed  will  of  God  is  the 
standard  of  right;  but  His  own  nature  is  the  ultimate 
standard  according  to  which  He  issues  commands. 

Q.  54.  Are  there  certain  things  which  God  cannot 
will? 

A.  He  cannot  lie,  or  deny  Himself,  or  look  upon  sin 
in  the  sense  of  approving  of  it.  2  Tim.  2:13;  Tit.  1:2; 
Hab.  I  :i3. 

Q.  55.  Why  can  He  not  do,  or  will  to  do,  such 
things  ? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  41 

A.  Because  His  very  nature,  the  ground  and  source 
of  all  rectitude,  is  set  against  them.    Jer.  44:4. 

Q.  56.  Are  there  any  who  hold  that  holiness  is  not 
a  distinct  attribute  of  God? 

A.     Yes,  not  a  few,  even  of  the  most  orthodox. 

Q.  57.     In  the  judgment  of  such  what  is  "holiness"? 

A.  A  term  significant  of  the  combined  perfections 
of  God. 

Q.  58.  Was  this  the  view  of  the  Westminster  Di- 
vines ? 

A.  Clearly  not;  for  they  specify  "holiness"  as  co- 
ordinate with,  not  included  in,  justice,  goodness,  and 
truth. 

Q.  59.  Is  Scripture  pervaded  by  declarations  that 
God  is  holy? 

A.  Yes.  Ps.  99:3,  5;  111:9;  Is.  6:3;  43:14,  15;  Heb. 
12:10;  I  Pet.  I  :i6. 

Q.  60.  How  may  the  holiness  of  God  be  distinguish- 
ed from  His  justice? 

A.  Holiness  has  regard  to  sin  as  odious.  Justice 
has  regard  to  sin  as  ill-deserving.  The  former  views  sin 
as  defilement.    The  latter  regards  it  as  demerit,  or  guilt. 

Q.  61.  Is  not  the  production  of  holiness  in  the  soul 
an  essential  element  in  the  salvation  of  a  sinner? 

A.     Yes.    Matt.  5:8;  Heb.  12:14;  i  Pet.  1:15,  16. 

Q.  62.     What  is  the  justice  of  God? 

A.  It  is  His  disposition  to  render  to  every  one  his 
due. 

Q.  63.  Is  justice,  as  some  hold,  merely  a  phase  of 
love? 

A.  It  is  not  incompatible  with  love,  yet  not  iden- 
tical with  it.    Ex.  34:6,  7;  Heb.  12:28,  29.* 

Q.  64.  Is  the  punishment  which  is  annexed  to  sin 
the  effect  solely,  or  chiefly,  of  God's  love  to  the  universe? 

A.  No.  The  radical  reason  why  sin  is  punished  is 
that  God  abhors  it.     His  nature  is  immutably  averse  to 

*See  Note  3  at  the  end  of  Question  IV. 


42  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

it,  and  punishment  is  the  necessary  expression  of  that 
aversion.  Ex.  34:7;  Deut  32:35;  Ps.  11:5-7;  Rom.  6:23; 
12:19, 

Q.  65.  Is  not  the  infliction  of  punishment  for  sin 
meant,  and  fitted  to  be,  a  warning  to  the  universe  of  the 
evil  of  sin? 

A.  Yes;  and  in  this  secondary  point  of  view  pun- 
ishment may  be  regarded  as  an  expression  of  love. 

Q.  66.  What  is  the  highest  illustration  and  proof  o£ 
the  justice  of  God? 

A.  The  fact  that  when  He  would  pardon  sinners, 
their  guilt  must  be  borne  and  satisfaction  for  it  made  by 
another,  and  that  other  His  own  Son.  Jno.  3:16;  Is. 
53 :4-6. 

Q.  67.  Was  there  in  this  fact  also  the  highest  ex- 
pression of  the  love  of  God? 

A.  Yes.  Jno.  3:16;  i  Jno.  3:16;  4:10.  Whatever 
tends  to  lower  our  conceptions  of  God's  justice  tends 
equally  to  lower  our  estimate  of  His  love. 

Q.  68.     What  is  the  goodness  of  God? 

A.  It  is  His  disposition  to  regard  Himself  with  in- 
finite complacency,  and  to  deal  kindly  with  all  His  sen- 
tient creatures. 

Q.  69.  Prove  that  God  regards  Himself  with  bound- 
less appreciation. 

A.     a.  He  made  all  things  for  Himself.    Is.  42:8;  43: 
21 ;  Rom.  II  :36; 
h.  He  requires  us  to  do  all  things  for  His  glory. 

Rom.  14:7,  8;  15:6,  7;  I  Cor,  10:31; 
c.  Being  infinite  in  excellence.  He  is  entitled  to, 
unlimited  admiration. 

Q.  70.  Is  there  within  the  Godhead,  in  the  tri- 
personality,  a  basis  for  the  interchange  of  love? 

A.  Yes.  The  Divine  persons  are  represented  ii 
Scripture  as  loving  one  another.  Jno.  3:35;  5:20;  17:24] 
Rom.  8:32;  Jno.  14:31 ;  Rom.  8:26,  27;  i  Cor.  2:10. 

Q.  71.     Name  some  words  and  phrases  which  are" 
used  to  set  forth  the  goodness  of  God. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  43 

A.  Grace,  mercy,  patience,  love  of  benevolence,  of 
beneficence,  and  of  complacency. 

Q.  72.     What  is  meant  by  "grace"? 

A.     Free,  undeserved  favor.     Eph.  2 :8, 

Q.  73.     What  is  meant  by  "mercy"? 

A.  The  disposition  to  pity  and  help  beings  in  misery. 
God  takes  no  malignant  pleasure  in  the  sufferings  of  His 
creatures.     Ezek.  33:11. 

Q.  74.     What  is  meant  by  the  "patience"  of  God? 

A.  It  is  His  goodness  exercised  in  bearing  with  the 
ill-deserving. 

Q.  75.     What  is  meant  by  His  "love  of  benevolence"? 

A.  It  is  His  general  good  will  borne  toward  His 
sentient  creatures  viewed  as  such. 

'    Q.  76.     What  is  meant  by  "love  of  beneficence"  on 
the  part  of  God? 

A.  It  is  His  disposition  to  bestow  favors  upon  His 
creatures.  The  election  of  sinners  to  everlasting  life  is 
the  highest  illustration  of  God's  beneficence,  as  well  as 
benevolence. 

Q.  77.  While  God  is  in  Himself  infinitely  good,  is 
the  exercise  or  outgoing  of  His  goodness  a  necessity? 

A.  No.  Universalists  so  argue;  but  the  goodness 
of  God  is  not  a  blind  passion,  operating  as  if  by  a  phys- 
ical necessity.  It  is  a  holy,  just,  and  wise  affection  which 
reaches  its  objects  only  in  a  manner  consistent  with  all 
the  other  perfections  of  the  Divine  nature. 

Q.  78.  What  manifestation  of  His  goodness  has 
God  given? 

A.  In  three  fields  is  His  goodness  shown,  namely, 
in  creation,  in  ordinary  providence,  and  in  redemption. 

Q.  79.  How  is  the  goodness  of  God  displayed  in 
creation? 

A.  The  structure  of  sentient  creatures  is  adapted  to 
yield  pleasure,  rather  than  pain.  Suffering  is  incidental. 
The  arrangements  of  the  world  seem  meant  to  please  and 
gladden.  Beauty  abounds  on  all  sides.  A  malevolent 
being  would  not  have  made  the  world  so  attractive. 


44  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  80.  How  is  the  goodness  of  God  shown  in  ordi- 
nary providence? 

A.  He  makes  wondrous  provision  for  the  support 
and  comfort  of  His  creatures.  Ps.  145:15,  18;  Matt.  5: 
45;  Ps.  65:9-13;  Acts  14:17. 

Q.  81.  How  is  the  goodness  of  God  shown  in  re- 
demption ? 

A.  In  His  choosing  to  salvation  a  vast  multitude  of 
sinful  human  beings,  and  saving  them  at  His  own  ex- 
pense (Jno.  3  :i6;  Rom.  5  :8;  8:32;  Eph.  2:8;  i  Jno.  4:10), 
but  not  at  the  expense  of  His  law  and  justice. 

Q.  82.     If  God  is  infinitely  good,  why  is  there  any      J 
suffering  in  the  world? 

A.  Suffering  seems  to  be  the  fruit  of  sin,  the  bale- 
ful shadow  which  it  produces.     Rom.  5:12;  6:23. 

Q.  83.     But  why  has  sin  been  permitted? 

A.  This  question  has  drawn  forth  many  answers, 
some  of  which  may  here  be  noticed. 

"Sin,"  it  is  said,  "is  the  necessary  means  of  the 
greatest  good." 

Q.  84.     Is  this  answer  satisfactory? 

A.  No ;  for  if  by  the  "greatest  good"  is  meant 
happiness,  we  deny  that  this  is  the  greatest  good ;  while 
if  by  good  is  meant  holiness,  then  it  would  follow  that 
sin  is  necessary  to  holiness,  which  seems  absurd. 

Again  it  is  said  that  "the  power  to  sin  is  inseparable 
from  free  agency." 

Q.  85.     Is  this  satisfactory? 

A.  No;  this  answer  assumes,  without  warrant,  that 
it  is  impossible  for  God  to  sustain  creatures  in  holiness. 
Yet  elect  angels  and  glorified  souls  shall  never  sin,  and 
still  are  free,  indeed  could  not  be  holy  if  not  free.  He 
Who  can  restore  men  from  a  state  of  sin  could  surely 
preserve  from  that  state. 

Q.  86.  What  is  the  safest  answer  to  give  to  the 
question,  "Why  are  there  sin  and,  consequently,  suffer- 
ing in  the  world"? 


I 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  45 

A.  The  wisest  answer  to  give  is  that  we  cannot  tell, 
unless,  in  this  general  way,  that  God  will  make  even  the 
sin  of  creatures  a  means  of  manifesting  His  glory.  Ps. 
9:6-11. 

Q.  87.  Is  it  not  daring  presumption  to  say  that  the 
existence  of  sin  is  incompatible  with  the  goodness  of 
God? 

A.  Yes.  We  do  not  know  all  the  facts  in  the  case, 
and  God  may,  in  some  way  yet  unknown  to  us,  be  able  to 
show  to  us  that  the  existence  of  sin  and  suffering  does 
not  disprove  His  goodness.  He  who  persists  in  maintain- 
ing that  they  do,  claims  virtually  to  know  all  the  re- 
sources of  God,  that  is,  to  be  omniscient. 

Q.  88.  Is  the  eternal  punishment  of  the  wicked  not 
at  variance  with  the  fact  of  God's  goodness? 

A.  No.  The  outgoings  of  God's  goodness  are  ever 
in  harmony  with,  never  in  contempt  of.  His  justice;  and 
not  even  on  Satan  will  God  inflict  a  single  pain  beyond 
that  which  pure  justice  demands.  Deut.  32:4;  Ps.  9:8; 
97:2.  Besides,  we  are  not  competent  to  measure  the  de- 
merit of  sin. 

Q.  89.  What  is  meant  by  the  truth,  or  truthfulness, 
of  God? 

A.  Truth,  as  an  attribute  of  God,  is  His  self-con- 
sistency and  the  agreement  of  all  His  representations 
with  reality. 

Q.  90.  In  declaring  God  to  be  self-consistent  what 
is  meant? 

A.  That  in  Him  there  is  no  discord,  His  attributes 
being  a  harmonious  whole.    Ex.  34:6,  7;  Ps.  85:10. 

Q.  91.  Are  all  of  God's  communications  to  His  crea- 
tures, whether  in  the  constitution  of  their  nature,  or  in 
additional  discoveries,  entirely  trustworthy? 

A.  Yes.  Deut.  32:4;  Joshua  23:14;  Jno.  5:32;  Tit. 
1 :2. 

Q.  92.  What  evidence  of  the  truthfulness  of  God  is 
furnished  by  our  own  constitution,  both  bodily  and  men- 
tal? 


46  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.     a.  Our  bodily  senses,  when  the  organs  are  in  a 
healthy  state,  prove  ever  worthy  of  our 
confidence; 
h.  The    genuine    intuitions    of    our    minds    are 
never  at  fault. 

Q.  93.  Do  not  our  bodily  senses,  however,  some- 
times deceive  us? 

A.     Never,  unless  diseased. 

Q.  94.  May  not  a  false  inference  be  drawn  from  the 
testimony  of  the  senses? 

A.  Yes;  and  this  often  occurs;  but  the  fault  is  in 
the  inference,  not  in  the  witness  borne  by  the  senses. 

Q.  95.  Is  it  not  by  the  evidence  of  the  senses  that 
we  are  enabled  to  detect  and  correct  false  inferences  from 
their  testimony? 

A,     Yes.    Luke  24 139. 

Q.  96.  Does  not  the  Popish  doctrine  of  Transub- 
stantiation  discredit  our  senses? 

A.  Yes ;  and  in  so  doing  lays  the  foundation  of  uni- 
versal scepticism. 

Q.  97.  In  all  our  reasoning  is  not  implicit  trust  to 
be  put  in  all  our  intellectual  intuitions? 

A.  Yes;  if  these  cannot  be  trusted  implicitly  we 
must  cease  to  reason.  All  valid  reasoning  rests  on  these 
first  truths. 

Q.  98.  Does  God  expressly  proclaim  Himself  truth- 
ful? 

A.     Yes.    Ps.  89:1,  2,  33,  34;  Heb.  6:18;  10:23. 

Q.  99.  It  is  objected  that  in  Jer.  20:7  the  prophet 
declares  that  God  had  "deceived"  him.  How  is  this  to  be 
explained? 

A.     a.  This  utterance  of  Jeremiah  was  not  inspired; 
although  the  record  of  it  is; 
h.  The  word  rendered  "deceived"  mav  most  fitly 
be  translated  "persuaded,"  or  "enticed." 

Q.  100.  Answer  the  objection  founded  on  i  Kings 
22:19-23,  in  which  God  is  represented  as  putting  "a  lying 
spirit"  in  certain  men. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  47 

A.  a.  This  is  an  allegorical  description,  and  should 
not  be  pressed  in  opposition  to  clear  state- 
ments of  Scripture; 

b.  God  is  said  sometimes  to  do  what  He  only 

permits  to  be  done; 

c.  By  the  mouth  of  Michaiah  God  gave  Ahab 

adequate  warning  against  the  lies  of  the 
false  prophets. 
Q.   loi.     What  practical  influence  should  the  doc- 
trine of  God's  truthfulness  have  upon  men? 

A.  It  is  fitted  to  alarm  sinners,  to  encourage  and 
induce  them  to  exercise  faith  in  Christ,  and  to  comfort  all 
who  have  fled  to  Him  for  refuge. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO   MEMORY. 

Jno.  4:24;  2  Chron.  6:18;  Ps.  62:11;  90:2;  139:1-4; 
Ex.  34:6,  7;  Mai.  3:6;  Eph.  3:10. 


Note  I. 


The  question  whether  the  power  of  thought  and  feel- 
ing pertains  to  the  lower  animals,  that  is,  animals  below 
the  grade  of  humanity,  presents  some  difficulty.  That 
this  power  is  to  some  extent  possessed  by,  at  least,  the 
higher  types  of  mere  animals,  it  is  difficult  to  deny.  Dogs, 
horses,  and  many  other  animals  do  remember,  and,  it  may 
be  added,  reason  too,  drawing  in  many  cases  shrewd  con- 
clusions from  the  premises  furnished.  Some  make  bold 
to  maintain  that  the  intelligence  and  feeling  shown  by 
the  lower  animals  are  the  product  of  mere  matter,  just 
as  are  the  phenomena  of  magnetism.  This  seems  to  be 
the  view,  for  instance,  of  Dr.  W.  G.  Shedd.  Yet  it  ap- 
pears perilously  near  to  materialism ;  for,  if  matter  can  be 
so  finely  tempered  as  to  yield  the  phenomena  of  thought 
and  feeling  exhibited  by  some  of  the  lower  animals,  why 
might  it  not  be  still  further  sublimated  and  refined  to 
produce  the  phenomena  of  intellect  and  emotion  observa- 
ble in  man?    In  one  respect  there  seems  to  be  a  great  gulf 


48  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

fixed  between  man  and  mere  animals,  namely  in  this,  that 
the  latter  are  destitute  of  conscience,  or  the  faculty  of 
perceiving  ethical  distinctions  and  feeling  their  force, 
which  marks  the  former.  I  regard  as  an  utter  failure  the 
attempt,  which  has  been  made,  to  prove  that  conscience 
in  an  incipient  state  is  found  among  the  lower  animals. 
These  may  and  do  associate  pleasure  or  pain,  as  the  case 
may  be,  with  certain  acts;  but  the  association  does  not 
constitute  conscience.  This  is  a  distinct  sense.  It  is  a 
window  affording  a  view  into  a  new  realm,  that  of  morals. 
The  question  may  be,  indeed  often  is,  asked,  "At  the 
death  of  mere  animals,  what  becomes  of  the  vital  prin- 
ciple which  then  ceases  to  express  itself"?  Perhaps  the 
best  answer  to  this  inquiry  is  to  confess  our  ignorance. 
The  Scriptures  do  not  shed  much  light  on  it.  In  Eccl. 
3  :2i  there  is  a  contrast  expressed  between  the  spirit  of  a 
man  and  that  of  a  beast;  the  former  going  upward,  the 
latter  downward  to  the  earth.  This,  however,  may  be 
meant  to  signify  that  accountability  attaches  to  one  and 
not  to  the  other. 

Note  II. 

Great  modesty  becomes  us  in  treating  of  the  rela- 
tions of  God  to  time  and  space,  for  in  handling  that  topic 
we  are  dealing  with  mysteries.  Who  can  tell  what  time 
and  space  are?  The  keenest  metaphysicians  shrink  from 
the  problem.  Some  of  them,  as,  for  instance,  Kant,  deny 
that  time  and  space  have  any  existence  outside  the  mind. 
The  next  and  most  natural  step,  from  which,  however, 
many  shrink  who  take  the  first,  is  to  deny  the  existence 
altogether  of  an  external  world.  We  must  hold  that  time 
and  space  are  realities  independent  of  our  thought,  al- 
though what  kind  of  realities  they  are  we  are  unable  to 
tell.  We  may  venture  to  say  that  they  are  neither  sub- 
stances nor  qualities;  but  that  they  are  conditions  of 
created  substances.  Every  created  substance  must  exist 
in  time  and  in  space.  Sir  Isaac  Newton,  in  one  of  his 
profound  mathematical  treatises,  makes  in  Latin  an  ob- 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  49 

servation  which  may  be  translated  thus : — "God  always 
endures  and  is  present  everywhere,  and  by  existing  al- 
ways and  everywhere  constitutes  duration  and  space." 
Unable,  as  we  are,  to  tell  definitely  what  time  and  space 
are,  it  behooves  us  to  deal  very  diffidently  with  the  ques- 
tion of  God's  relation  to  them.  This  we  may  make  bold 
to  say,  that  they  are  dependent  upon  God,  not  He  on 
them.  In  i  Tim.  i  -.ly  He  is  styled  the  "King  eternal," 
or,  more  literally,  "the  King  of  the  ages";  while  in  i 
Kings  8 :27  it  is  said  by  Solomon  in  the  prayer  of  dedica- 
tion, which  seems  to  have  been  inspired,  "Behold  the 
heaven  and  heaven  of  heavens  cannot  contain  Thee." 

Note  HI, 

Correct  conceptions  of  the  justice  of  God  lie  at  the 
root  of  the  true  doctrine  of  the  atonement;  while  erro- 
neous ideas  as  to  the  justice  of  God  logically  lead  to  false 
views  as  to  the  nature  of  the  atonement.  Unitarians,  for 
instance,  hold  that  all  the  atonement  that  is  needed  for 
sin  is  that  the  sinner  repent  of  his  sin.  To  pardon  other- 
wise, they  say,  would  be  to  encourage  men  in  sin ;  but  to 
punish  when  repentance  is  felt  would  be  mere  vindic- 
tiveness.  Accordingly  the  doctrine  that  Christ  bore  pun- 
ishment for  sinners  is  discarded.  Others,  again,  holding 
the  justice  of  God  to  be  but  a  phase  of  His  love,  teach 
that  God  punishes  sin  solely  out  of  love  to  the  universe. 
"Sin,"  say  they,  "is  detrimental  to  the  sinner.  For  his 
sake,  and  in  order  to  prevent  its  spread,  it  should  be  dis- 
couraged. In  the  sufferings  of  Christ  a  note  of  warning 
against  sin  is  given,  and  this  is  the  atonement." 

As  will  be  more  fully  set  forth  hereafter,  the  funda- 
mental reason  why  God  punishes  sin  is  that  His  nature, 
as  He  is  a  just  being,  is  opposed  to  it.  At  the  same  time, 
His  regard  for  the  well-being  of  His  creatures  coincides 
with  His  repugnance  to  sin  in  demanding  that  even  in 
pardoning  oflfenders  there  should  be  a  protest  against 
their  sin.    The  atonement  by  Christ  satisfied  at  once  the 


50  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

inexorable  demands  of  justice  and  the  pleadings  of  Iqve. 
Thus  in  the  atonement  the  justice  and  love  of  God  em- 
brace and  mutually  commend  each  other. 


QUESTION  V. 

Are  there  more  Gods  than  one? 

ANSWER. 

There  is  but  one  only,  the  living  and  true  God. 

Q.  I.  What  word  is  used  to  denote  the  belief  that 
there  are  more  Gods  than  one? 

A.     Polytheism. 

Q.  2.  What  word  is  used  to  express  the  belief  that 
there  is  but  one  God? 

A.     Monotheism. 

Q.  3.  Is  polytheism  characteristic  of  all  heathen 
tribes? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  4.  Yet  even  among  those  tribes  is  there  not  some 
idea  of  the  unity  of  God? 

A.  Yes.  Greek  and  Latin  writers  of  Pagan  times 
often  speak  of  "God,"  as  if  there  were  but  one  deity. 

Q.  5.     Can  there  be  two  almighty  beings? 

A.     No.    The  idea  involves  a  contradiction. 

Q.  6.  Is  the  uniformity  of  law  which  is  traceable  in 
the  universe  a  token  that  there  is  but  one  God? 

A.  Yes.  The  telescope  and  the  spectroscope  yield 
proof  of  the  kinship  subsisting  between  the  orbs  which 
people  space,  and  point  significantly  to  one  creative  and 
controlling  mind, 

Q.  7.     Furnish  from  Scripture  proof  that  God  is  one. 

A.  Express  proof  is  found  in  Deut.  6:4;  Ps.  83:18; 
Is.  44:8;  45:5;  Mark  10:19;  i  Cor.  8:4;  Jas.  2:19. 

Q.  8.  Aside  from  the  adherents  of  Judaism  and 
Christianity,  what  large  class  of  men  are  monotheists? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  51 

A.  Mohammedans,  who  now  number  nearly  one- 
eighth  of  the  human  race. 

Q.  9.     Is  monotheism  professed  by  many? 

A.  Probably  by  about  one-half  of  our  race,  and  that 
the  ruling  half. 

Q.  10.  What  influence  is  this  doctrine  fitted  to 
wield? 

A.  It  may  be  a  comfort  to  those  who  love  and  serve 
God,  but  a  cause  of  dread  to  those  who  disobey  Him. 

Q.  II.  How  may  professed  monotheists  be  practical 
poly  theists  ? 

A.  By  devoting  to  any  other  than  God  the  time  and 
energy  due  to  Him  alone.  Covetousness  is  idolatry.  Col. 
3:5;  I  Jno.  2:15-17. 

Q.  12.     Why  may  God  be  called  "the  living"  God? 

A.  To  distinguish  Him  from  all  false  gods,  and  to 
declare  that  He  lives  and  is  the  source  of  life,  Ps,  18:46; 
Jno.  6:57;  5:26;  I  Tim.  3:15. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED   TO    MEMORY. 

Deut.  6:4;  Ps.  83:18;  I  Cor.  8:4;  i  Tim.  2:5;  Jas.  2: 
19;  I  Tim.  3:15. 


QUESTION  VI. 
How  many  persons  are  there  in  the  Godhead? 

ANSWER. 

There  are  three  persons  in  the  Godhead: 
the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost;  and 
these  three  are  one  God,  the  same  in  substance, 
equal  in  power  and  glory. 

Q.  I.  What  is  the  doctrine  expressed  in  this  answer 
commonly  called? 

A.     The  doctrine  of  the  Trinity. 

Q.  2.  In  the  statement  of  this  doctrine,  what  sense 
attaches  to  the  word  "person"? 


52  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.     Not  that  which  belongs  to  it  when  appHed  to  a 

human  being.     Three  human  persons  are  three  human 

beings ;  but  according  to  Trinitarians  the  three  Divine 

persons  are  one  Divine  being.     A  person  of  the  Trinity 

is  a  distinction  in  the  Divine  being,  the  distinction  being 

necessary,  however,  and  not  the  product  of  volition. 

Q.  3.  How  does  Calvin  define  a  person  of  the  Trin- 
ity? 

A.  His  definition  is  this : — "A  person  of  the  Trinity 
is  a  subsistence  in  the  essence  of  God,  related  to  other 
subsistences  in  the  same  essence,  but  distinguished  from 
them  by  an  incommunicable  property." 

Q.  4.     Is  a  person  of  the  Godhead  a  Divine  being? 

A.  No;  but  He  with  the  other  persons  is  a  Divine 
being. 

Q.  5.     Are  these  persons  separable? 

A.  No.  They  are  distinguishable  in  thought,  but 
not  separable  in  fact,  and  each  with  the  others  is  a  Divine 
being. 

Q.  6.  Mention  the  views  at  variance  with  the  doc- 
trine of  the  Trinity  which  have  been  advanced  by  persons 
claiming  to  be  Christians. 

A.  Sabellianism,  Arianism,  Socinianism,  and  Uni- 
tarianism. 

Q.  7.     What  is  Sabellianism? 

A.  It  is  the  view  advocated  in  the  third  century  by 
Sabellius,  a  presbyter  of  North  Africa,  to  the  effect  that 
God  is  one  both  as  to  essence  and  as  to  person,  or  that 
the  titles  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Spirit  denote  the  same 
person  sustaining  different  relations. 

Q.  8.  What  modern  system  of  belief  embraces  the 
Sabellian  doctrine? 

A.  Swedenborgianism,  so  named  from  its  author, 
Emmanuel  Swedenborg  (1689-1772). 

Q.  9.  Do  the  Scriptures  sanction  the  Sabellian  prin- 
ciple ? 

A.  No.  They  teach  that  the  Son  was  from  eternity 
with  the  Father  (Jno.  1:1;  17:5);  that  He  was  sent  by 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  53 

the  Father  into  the  world  (Jno.  5:37;  6:39,  40;  8:42;  10: 
36)  ;  and  that  His  incarnation  was  effected  by  the  Spirit, 
Who  must,  therefore,  have  been  different  from  the  Son.  ^ 

Q.  10.     What  is  the  doctrine  known  as  Arianism? 

A.  It  is  to  the  effect  that  God  is  one  both  as  to  es- 
sence and  person  ;  that  the  Son  of  God  is  the  most  exalted 
creature,  but  only  a  creature ;  and  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
a  creature  produced  by  the  power  of  the  Son. 

Q.  II.  Who  was  Arius,  whose  name  is  used  to  mark 
this  doctrine? 

A.  He  was  a  presbyter  of  Egypt,  who  died  A.  D. 
336.  His  doctrine  was  formally  condemned  in  A.  D.  325 
by  the  Council  of  Nicea. 

Q.  12.     Is  Arianism  prevalent  at  the  present  day? 

A.  No.  It  has  mostly  given  place  to  the  bolder  and 
more  self-consistent  systems  of  Socinianisni  and  Unita- 
rianism. 

Q.  13.     What  is  meant  by  Socinianism? 

A.  According  to  this  plan  of  doctrine,  God  is  one 
both  as  to  essence  and  person;  the  Son  of  God  is  a  mere 
man,  although  miraculously  born,  and,  as  a  reward  of 
willing,  self-denying  service,  raised  to  a  rank  next  to 
Divinity;  while  the  Holy  Spirit  is  not  a  person  but  a 
mere  figure  of  speech  to  denote  the  energy  of  God. 

Q.  14.  Why  is  this  form  of  doctrine  called  Socin- 
ianism? 

A.  It  is  so  named  from  two  Italians,  uncle  and 
nephew,  Laelius  and  Faustus  Socinus,  the  former,  who 
was  also  the  originator,  born  in  1525  and  dying  in  1562, 
the  latter,  who  was  active  in  propagating  the  system, 
born  in  1539  and  dying  in  1604.  Cracow  in  Poland  be- 
came the  headquarters  of  the  sect. 

Q.  15.     What  is  Unitarianism? 

A.  This  is  the  modern  form  into  which  Socinianism 
developed.  It  affirms  that  Christ  was  but  a  mere  man, 
not  miraculously  born,  but  richly  endowed  to  be  a  teacher 
of  men  both  by  word  and  deed,  and  it  denies  the  person- 
ality of  the  Holy  Spirit. 


54  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  1 6.  What  are  the  characteristic  principles  of 
Trinitarianism? 

A.     a.  The  unity  of  God  as  to  essence ; 
b.  The  tripersonality  of  this  essence. 

Q.  17.     Prove  from  Scripture  the  unity  of  God. 

A.  This  doctrine  pervades  the  Bible,  and  is  explic- 
itly taught  in  such  texts  as  the  following: — Deut.  6:4; 
Ex.  20:3;  Is.  44:8;  Matt.  19:17;  Jas.  2:19. 

Q.  18.  Do  the  Scriptures  warrant  the  belief  that 
God  is  in  some  sense  plural? 

A.  They  do  give  clear  indications  to  this  effect.  For 
example : 

a.  The  word  Elohim  (pron.  eloheem),  which  is 

used  in  the  Hebrew  Scriptures  more  than 
2,000  times  to  denote  the  true  God,  is 
plural  in  form,  although  the  noun  has  a 
singular  form.  Occurring,  as  this  does,  in 
a  book  which  so  strenuously  asserts  the 
unity  of  God,  does  it  not  favor  the  belief 
that  while  God  is  one,  He  is  in  some  sense 
more  than  one? 

b.  In    some    instances    God    is    represented    in 

Scripture  as  using  personal  pronouns  in 
the  plural  number  when  referring  to  Him- 
self.   See  Gen.  1:26;  3:22;  11:7;  Is.  6:8. 

c.  In  a  few  texts  one  who  is  God  is  distinguished 

from  another  who  is  also  God.  See  Gen. 
19 :24 ;  Ps.  45  :7 ;  Hos.  i  :6,  7 ;  Zech.  13  :y. 

Q.  19.     Is  this  plurality  limited  to  three? 

A.  Yes.  Hints  to  this  effect  are  given.  See  Numb. 
6:24-27;  Is.  6:3;  Is.  48:16;  Matt.  28:20;  2  Cor.  13:14; 
Rev.  1 :4-6. 

Q.  20.     Prove  that  the  Father  is  God. 

A.  Proof  is  afforded  in  Jno.  1:18;  3:16;  10:29;  11: 
27;  17:3;  I  Cor.  8:6;  Heb.  i  :i,  2;  2  Cor.  13:14. 

Q.  21.  By  what  lines  of  argument  may  it  be  proved 
that  Christ  is  God? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  55 

A.  By  four  branches,  or  lines,  of  proof  this  doctrine 
may  be  established;  and  these  are  the  following: 

a.  The   names   and   titles   peculiar   to    God   are 

given  to  Christ; 

b.  The  attributes  of  God  are  ascribed  to  Christ ; 

c.  The  works  which  none  but  God  can  do  are 

attributed  to  the  Son; 

d.  The  worship  due  to  God  only  is  with  Divine 

sanction  rendered  to  the  Son,  that  is,  to 
Christ. 

Q.  22.  Produce  evidence  that  in  Scripture  the 
names  and  titles  of  God  are  given  to  the  Son. 

A.  See  Jno.  i  :i ;  20:28;  Acts  20:28;  Rom.  9:5;  Phil. 
2:9;  Tit.  2:13;  Heb.  i  :8. 

Q.  23.  Is  there  any  name  which  in  Scripture  is  given 
to  God  alone  ? 

A.  Yes,  the  name  Jehovah.  Ps.  83:18;  Is.  42:8; 
Hosea  12:5.  In  our  authorized  English  translation  of  the 
Old  Testament  the  word  "Lord,"  printed  in  small  cap- 
itals, is,  with  few  exceptions,  used  to  represent  the  He- 
brew form  for  Jehovah. 

Q.  24.  Is  this  incommunicable  name  of  God  ever 
given  in  the  Scriptures  to  the  Son  of  God? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  25.     How  may  this  be  shown? 

A.  By  a  comparison  of  Is.  6:1-9  with  Jno.  12:38-41, 
of  Isaiah  40:3  with  Matt.  3:3,  of  Is.  8:13,  14  with  i  Pet. 
2:8,  of  Is.  45:21-23  with  Phil.  2:10,  of  Zech.  12:10  with 
ver.  I  and  Jno.  19 :37. 

Q.  26.  Is  there  in  the  earlier  books  of  the  Bible  a 
mysterious  angel  brought  to  view  to  whom  this  name  is 
given? 

A.  Yes.  See  Gen.  16:9-13;  17:1,  22;  18:3,  13,  17,  20, 
22,  26,  33;  22:16,  17;  32:30  (compared  with  Hosea  12:4, 
5);  Ex.  3:2-6;  4:5,  6,  10,  II,  14;  Judges  6:11-24;  13:15- 
20,  23. 


56  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  27.  Is  there  reason  to  believe  that  He  Who  ap- 
peared in  those  instances  was  more  than  a  created  angel, 
even  the  Son  of  God? 

A.     Yes.     See  Mai.  3:1;  Jno.  1:18;  5:37;  6:46;  14: 

7-9- 

Q.  28.     Is  the  attribute  of  eternity  ascribed  to  the 

Son  of  God  and  claimed  by  Him? 

A.  Yes.  See  Is.  9:6;  Micah  5:2;  Jno.  1:1-3;  8:58; 
17 :5  ;  I  Jno.  i  :i,  2 ;  5  :2o ;  Rev.  i  :io-i3  ;  22  :i3. 

Q.  29.     Is  immutability  attributed  to  the  Son  of  God? 

A.     Yes.    See  Heb.  1:10,  11;  13:8. 

Q.  30.  Is  omniscience  a  characteristic  of  the  Son  of 
God? 

A.  Yes.  See  Matt.  11:27;  Jno.  2:24,  25;  21:17; 
Rev.  2:23  compared  with  Jer.  17:10. 

Q.  31.  Is  omnipresence  an  attribute  of  the  Son  of 
God? 

A,     Yes.    Matt.  18:20;  28:20;  Jno.  3:13, 

Q.  32.     Is  the  Son  of  God  omnipotent,  or  almighty? 

A.     Yes.    Is.  9 :6 ;  Heb.  i  :3 ;  Rev.  i  :8. 

Q.  33.  Are  Divine  works  attributed  to  the  Son  of 
God? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  34.  What  works  of  this  nature  are  ascribed  to 
Him? 

A.  Creation,  sustentation,  control,  supreme  judg- 
ment. 

Q.  35.     Show  that  creation  is  ascribed  to  Him, 

A.     See  Jno.  1:3;!  Cor.  8:6;  Col.  i  :i6. 

Q.  36.  Show  that  the  sustentation  of  the  world  is 
ascribed  to  Him. 

A.     See  Col.  i  :iy;  Heb.  i  :3. 

Q.  37.     Prove  that  imiversal  control  is  His. 

A.     See  Jno.  5  :i9,  21 ;  Col.  2:10;  Rev.  i  :8. 

Q.  38.  Prove  that  supreme  judicial  authority  per- 
tains to  the  Son  of  God. 

A.  See  Jno.  5:21;  Acts  17:31;  Rom.  14:10;  2  Cor. 
5:10. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  57 

Q.  39.  Is  there  warrant  for  worshipping  the  Son  of 
God? 

A.  Yes.  See  Luke  24:52;  Jno.  20:28;  Acts  1:24; 
7:59,  60;  9:14,  21;  I  Cor.  1:2;  2  Cor.  13:14;  Rev.  1:5,  6; 

5:8-14. 

Q.  40.  Does  not  the  array  of  evidence  in  favor  of 
the  doctrine  of  the  supreme  deity  of  Christ  warrant  and 
demand  assent  to  that  doctrine? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  41.  Answer  the  objection  that  this  doctrine  must 
be  false,  if  God  is  one. 

A.  The  doctrine  of  the  unity  of  God  forbids  belief 
in  a  second  Divine  essence,  not  of  a  second  Divine  person. 
In  essence  God  is  one.  In  person,  we  hold,  He  is  three. 
'Between  these  two  positions  there  is  no  necessary  con- 
flict. 

Q.  42.  Again  it  is  objected  that  in  Scripture  Christ 
is  represented  as  dependent  on  the  Father  and  subject  to 
Him.     Answer. 

A.  The  fact  is  granted,  but  the  inference  from  it  is 
denied.    For, 

a.  The  Son  of  God,  we  believe,  took  a  human 

nature  into  a  personal  union  with  Him- 
self, and  this  nature  viewed  in  itself  is 
not,  and  never  can  be,  God; 

b.  In  this  nature  the  Son  of  God  freely  served 

and  suffered ; 

c.  In  His  official  capacity,  as  mediator,  Christ 

serves  and  honors  the  Father ;  but  were 
He  not  God,  co-equal  with  the  Father,  He 
could  not  be  the  mediator.  Nor  could  He 
be,  as  He  is,  invested  with  all  power  or 
authority  as  mediator,  were  He  not  God. 
Q.  43.     What  is  the  Sabellian  doctrine  as  to  the  Holy 

Spirit? 

A.     It  is  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  identical  in  person, 

as  well  as  essence,  with  the  Father  and  the  Son.    This  is 

merely  disguised  Unitarianism. 


58  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  44.  What  is  the  Arian  view  as  to  the  Holy 
Spirit? 

A.  That  He  is  a  creature,  the  first  product  of  the 
power  of  the  Son,  Who  is  Himself  the  first  and  greatest 
created  being. 

Q.  45.  What  is  the  orthodox  doctrine  as  to  the  Holy 
Spirit? 

A.  That  He  is  a  Divine  person  co-equal  and  co- 
essential  with  two  other  Divine  persons,  the  Father  and 
the  Son. 

Q.  46.  What  is  meant  when  it  is  said  in  the  Cate- 
chism that  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  are 
"the  same  in  substance"? 

A.  That  They  are  as  to  essences-one,  while  as  to  per- 
sonal subsistence  They  are  three. 

Q.  47.     Is  it  proper  to  call  the  Godhead  a  person? 
A.     No.    If  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Spirit 
are  three  persons,  and  the  three  together  constitute  an- 
other person,  there  would  be  four  persons  in  the  God- 
head. 

Q.  48.  What  expression  may  be  used  instead  of  the 
word  "person"  to  denote  the  Divine  essence? 

A.  The  one  essence  may  be  called  "a  personal 
Being." 

Q.  49.  Present  evidence  of  the  personality  of  the 
Holy  Spirit. 

A.  a.  Pronouns  implying  personality  are  applied  to 
Him,  and  that  even  in  the  least  poetic 
parts  of  Scripture.  See  Jno.  14:26;  15:26; 
16:13,  14;  Eph.  I  :i4. 
b.  Personal  acts  and  characteristics  are  attrib- 
uted to  Him ;  for  instance,  teaching,  Jno. 
14:26;  16:13,  14;  Mark  13:11;  Rom.  8:26; 
witnessing,  Jno.  15:26;  Acts  5:32;  20:23; 
I  Pet.  i:ii;  calling  men  to  service.  Acts 
13:2,  4;  20:28;  conferring  gifts,  i  Cor.  12: 
8,    10-12;    capable   in    common    with    the 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  59 

Father  and  the  Son  of  being  sinned 
against,  Matt.  12:31,  32;  Eph.  4:30;  joined 
with  the  Father  and  the  Son  in  the  bap- 
tismal formula  and  the  Apostolic  benedic- 
tion. Matt.  28:19;  2  Cor.  13:14. 

Q.  50.  By  what  lines  of  argument  may  it  be  proved 
that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  God? 

A.  By  showing  that  in  Scripture  the  names  of  God 
are  expressly,  or  by  clear  implication,  given  to  Him,  the 
attributes  of  God  ascribed  to  Him,  the  works  of  God  at- 
tributed to  Him,  and  the  worship  limited  to  God  ren- 
dered or  authorized  to  be  given  Him, 

Q.  51.  Is  there  any  evidence  that  the  name  of  God 
belongs  to  the  Holy  Spirit? 

A.  The  evidence  to  this  effect  is  less  direct  than  in 
the  case  of  the  Son  of  God.  Yet  there  is  enough  to  con- 
vince. For  instance  in  Acts  28 :25-27  Paul  is  represented 
as  ascribing  to  the  Holy  Ghost  words  which  in  Is.  6:8-10 
are  said  to  have  been  uttered  by  One  who  receives  the 
name  Jehovah  in  verse  5.  See  further  Acts  5:3,  4;  i 
Cor.  3:16;  6:19;  2  Pet,  1:21,  viewed  in  connection  with 
2  Tim.  3:16. 

Q.  52.  Are  Divine  attributes  ascribed  to  the  Holy 
Spirit? 

A.  Yes.  Eternity,  Heb.  9:14;  omnipresence,  Ps, 
139:7;  Rom.  8:9-11;  omnipotence,  Jno.  3:5;  Rom.  8:11; 
Tit.  3:5;  omniscience,  Jno.  14:26;  16:13;  i  Cor.  2:10,  11; 
12:8;  2  Pet.  1 :2i, 

Q.  53.  Are  the  works  peculiar  to  God  ascribed  to 
the  Holy  Spirit? 

'A.  Yes;  the  fashioning  of  the  tmiverse.  Gen.  1:2; 
Job.  26:13;  Ps.  104:30;  miracle-working,  Luke  1:35; 
Rom.  8:11;  15:19;  I  Cor.  12:10;  Heb.  2:4;  the  regenera- 
tion of  sinful  men,  Jno.  3 :5 ;  i  Cor.  6:11;  2  Cor,  5:17; 
Eph,  2:10;  rule  in  the  church.  Acts  13:2,  4;  20:28;  i  Cor. 
12:8-11, 

Q.  54.     Is  Divine  worship  due  to  the  Holy  Spirit? 


60  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.  Yes.  See  Matt.  28:19;  I  Cor.  6:19;  2  Cor.  13:14; 
Rev.  1 14. 

Q.  55.  Do  the  three  Divine  persons  eternally  co- 
exist? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  56.  Are  they  consubstantial,  or  one  and  the  same 
in  essence? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  57.  What  are  the  mutual  relations  of  the  persons 
of  the  Trinity? 

A.  The  distinctive  feature,  or,  as  it  is  technically 
called,  the  "property,"  of  the  First  person  is  paternity  in 
relation  to  the  Second  person.  The  "property"  of  the 
Second  person  is  Uliation,  or  Sonship,  in  relation  to  the 
First  person.  The  "property"  of  the  Third  person  in  re- 
lation to  the  other  two  persons  is  procession',  the  idea  of 
time  being  excluded  from  all  these  terms. 

Q.  58.  Does  the  title  "Son  of  God,"  appHed  to 
Christ,  denote  a  relation,  eternal  and  necessary,  between 
the  First  and  Second  persons  of  the  Godhead? 

A.  Yes ;  it  signifies  a  relation  not  founded  on  incar- 
nation, or  office,  or  decree,  but  natural  and  necessary,  al- 
though to  us  a  mystery.  He  is  the  Son  of  God  in  a  sense 
absolutely  unique.  Jno.  1:14,  18:  3:16;  5:18;  Rom.  8:3, 
32;  I  Jno.  4:9. 

Some  eminent  defenders  of  the  doctrine  of  the  su- 
preme deity  of  the  Son  have  been  of  the  opinion  that 
Christ  is  called  "The  Son  of  God"  either  because  of  His 
incarnation,  or  because  of  His  resurrection  from  the  dead, 
or  because  of  the  position  He  sustains  as  mediator;  but 
the  great  body  of  Trinitarians  must  be  reckoned  as  main- 
taining that  Christ  is  the  Son  of  God  by  "natural,  neces- 
sary, and  eternal  generation." 

Q.  59.  What  word  is  used  to  express  the  relation  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  to  the  Father  and  the  Son? 

A.  Procession.  In  Jno.  15:26  it  is  distinctly  inti- 
mated  that   the   Comforter,   the   Spirit  of  Truth,   "pro- 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  61 

ceeds"  from  the  Father,  while  some  grounds  exist  for  the 
belief  that  He  "proceeds"  from  the  Son  as  well  as  from 
the  Father. 

Q.  60.     What  are  the  chief  grounds  of  this  belief? 
A.     a.  The  Spirit  is  revealed  to  us  as  the  Spirit  of 
the  Son  as  well  as  of  the  Father,     Rom. 
8:9;   Gal.  4:6;  Phil.   1:19.     This  fact  af- 
fords some  ground  for  the  belief  that  the 
Spirit  proceeds  from  each  alike. 
h.  Corroborative  of  this  is  the  fact  that  the  Son 
equally  with  the  Father  is  said  to  send  the 
Spirit.    Jno.  14 126 ;  15  :26 ;  16 :/ ;  Acts  2 133. 
Q.  61.     Do  all  Trinitarians  assent  to  the  view  that 
the  Spirit  "proceeds"  from  the  Son  as  well  as  from  the 
Father? 

A.  No.  The  Eastern,  or  Greek,  Church,  which  em- 
braces about  one  hundred  million  souls,  definitely  rejects 
this  doctrine. 

Q.  62.  Is  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  a  mere  doc- 
trinal subtlety  devoid  of  practical  utility? 

A.  It  is  a  doctrine  of  profound  practical  importance. 
For  instance: 

a.  It  presents  to  us  the  true  object  of  worship. 
h.  It  reveals  impressively  the  terrible  nature  of 
sin,  seeing  that  a  Divine  person  was  need- 
ed to  redeem  men  from  guilt  and  defile- 
ment. 

c.  It  reveals  emphatically  the  love  of  the  Father 

in  giving  His  Son,  and  of  the  Son  in  giv- 
ing Himself  as  the  Saviour. 

d.  It  exhibits  the  wonderful  dignity  of  man,  in- 

asmuch as  in  the  person  of  the  Mediator 
humanity  and  divinity  are  inseparably 
united. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED   TO   MEMORY. 

Deut.  6 :4 ;  Ps.  83  :i8 ;  Is.  9 :6 ;  Jno.  i  :i-3 ;  20 -.28 ;  Rom. 
9 :5 ;  Col.  i  :i6,  17 ;  i  Cor.  2  :io,  1 1 ;  2  Cor.  13  :i4 ;  Col.  i  :i6, 
17;  Phil.  2:5-11;  I  Tim.  3:16;  Rev.  1:4-6. 


62  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

QUESTION  VII. 
What  are  the  decrees  of  God? 

ANSWER. 

The  decrees  of  God  are  His  eternal  purpose 
according  to  the  counsel  of  His  will,  whereby, 
for  His  own  glory,  He  hath  foreordained  what- 
soever comes  to  pass. 

Q.  I.  Is  the  word  "decree"  here  used,  as  it  often  is, 
to  denote  a  mandate  or  authoritative  direction? 

A.  No;  but  in  the  sense  of  a  purpose,  or  determina- 
tion, that  certain  things  shall  be. 

Q.  2.  Why  is  the  word  "purpose"  in  the  singular 
used  to  define  the  plural  word  "decrees"? 

A,  To  suggest  that  the  decrees  of  God  are  insep- 
arably conjoined  so  as  to  constitute  a  unit.  They  are  a 
web,  every  thread  of  which  is  connected  with  every  other, 

Q.  3.  Why  is  it  said  that  the  decrees  of  God  are 
"according  to  the  counsel  of  His  will"? 

A.  To  indicate  that  they  are  the  product  of  the  will 
and  wisdom  of  God,  not  of  blind  chance,  or  of  imperious 
fate. 

Q.  4.     Are  the  decrees  of  God  eternal? 

A.     Yes.    See  Acts  15:18;  Eph.  1:4,  11;  3:10,  11. 

Q.  5.  If  eternal,  how  can  they  be  the  fruit  of  coun- 
sel and  will? 

A.  In  the  order  of  time,  or  chronologically,  they  are 
eternal;  but  in  the  order  of  thought,  or  logically,  God 
must  have  existed  before  He  decreed.  A  luminous  body 
radiates  the  very  instant  it  exists ;  yet  we  must  conceive 
of  it  as  existing  before  it  emits  rays. 

Q.  6.  What  is  the  chief  aim,  or  end,  of  God  in  all  of 
His  decrees? 

A.     His  own  glory.     Rom.  11:36;  Eph,  1:5,  6,  12. 

Q.  7.  How  many  things  are  embraced  in  the  foreor- 
daining purpose  of  God? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  63 


A,     All  things  that  come  to  pass. 
Q.  8.     Give  proof  that  all  things  which  come  to  pass 
were  foreordained  by  God. 

A.  a.  As  a  being  of  infinite  wisdom,  God  in  origin- 
ating the  universe  must  have  known  the 
outcome  of  that  operation.  To  start  such 
a  stupendous  system  without  knowledge 
of  the  issue  would  argue  recklessness,  not 
wisdom ; 
h.  As  a  being  of  infinite  justice  and  holiness  God 
could  not  establish  and  set  in  motion  the 
forces  of  the  universe  without  knowing 
the  most  minute  results; 

c.  If  He  knew  these  results  and  yet  originated 

the  universe.  He  virtually  decreed,  or  pur- 
posed, all  the  outcome; 

d.  God's  foreknowledge  of  events  rests  logically 

on  His  foreordination.  A  knowledge  of 
all  possible  events  does  not  pre-suppose 
foreordination ;  but  a  foreknowledge  of  all 
actual  occurrences  does ; 

e.  The  Scriptures  in  various  ways  teach  this  doc- 

trine. For  instance,  God  is  represented  in 
general  terms  as  carrying  out  in  the  af- 
fairs of  the  world  His  own  purpose.  See 
Ps.  33:10,  11;  Acts  2:23;  Eph.  i:ii;  as 
determining  beforehand  the  place  of  our 
abode  and  the  period  of  our  life  (Job  14: 
5;  Acts  17:26);  as  controlling  the  minds 
of  men  (Prov.  19:21;  21:1;  Is.  46:10,  11; 
Ex.  7 :3  ;  9  :i2 ;  Phil.  2  :i3)  ;  as  making  men 
holy  in  pursuance  of  an  eternal  purpose 
to  save  them  (Eph.  8:30;  1:4-6;  2:10). 
Q.  9.  What  objections  to  this  doctrine  of  foreordi- 
nation are  most  confidently  urged? 


64  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.  That  it  conflicts  with  the  fact  of  our  free  agency 
and  involves  the  idea  that  God  is  the  author  of  sin. 

Q.  10.     How  may  these  objections  be  answered? 

A.  a.  These  objections  are  really  one,  namely  this, 
that  Divine  foreordination  and  human 
free  agency  are  incompatible  with  each 
other.  But  this  is  a  mere  assumption 
needing  proof.  He  who  affirms  that  they 
are  incompatible  virtually  claims  to  know 
all  the  resources  of  God,  and,  from  this 
knowledge,  to  be  warranted  to  declare 
that  acts  foreordained  cannot  be  free  acts 
— a  bold  attitude  to  assume; 

b.  God  certainly  purposed  from  eternity  that  His 

Son  in  our  nature  should  die  at  the  hands 
of  wicked  men ;  yet  those  men  who  in 
pursuance  of  their  own  designs  perpe- 
trated that  murder  were  guilty.  Luke  22 : 
22;  Acts  2:23;  4:27,  28; 

c.  God   has   surely   foreordained   that   the   holy 

angels  and  just  men  made  perfect  shall  be 
forever  holy.  Does  this  purpose  of  God 
interfere  with  their  free  agency  and  con- 
vert them  into  mere  machines? 

d.  It  is  a  fact  of  vast  significance  that  nowhere 

in  Scripture  is  there  an  express  or  direct 
denial  of  the  doctrine  of  foreordination. 
There  are  statements  from  which  such  de- 
nial is  inferred ;  but  we  dispute  the  cor- 
rectness of  the  inference. 
Q.  II.     Are  the  sinful  acts  of  creatures  the  fruit  of 
Divine  foreordination  in  the  same  sense  as  are  their  good 
acts  ? 

A.  No.  God  never  infuses  sin  into  any  one,  as  He 
does  grace.  Jas.  i  :i3,  14;  Phil.  2:13.  He  decrees,  indeed, 
that  sinful  acts  shall  take  place,  but  that  they  shall  come 
to  pass  in  the  channel  of  the  free  agency  of  the  sinner. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  65 

Q.  12.  Is  it  not,  however,  said  repeatedly  in  Exodus 
that  God  hardened  the  heart  of  Pharaoh? 

A.  This  is  true.  Ex.  4:21 ;  7:3,  13 ;  9:12;  10:20,  27; 
11:10;  but  it  is  also  intimated  that  Pharaoh  hardened 
himself.     Ex.  8:15,  32;  9:34. 

Q.  13.  How  could  God  harden  Pharaoh's  heart  with- 
out instilling  evil  into  it? 

A.     a.  God  brought  Pharaoh  into  situations  which 
stirred  into  activity  the  latent  wickedness 
of  his  heart ; 
h.  God    may    have    withdrawn    restraints    from 

Pharaoh  to  which  he  was  not  entitled ; 
c.  As  a  punishment  of  his  rebellious  spirit,  Pha- 
raoh may  have  been  given  up  to  his  own 
passions  and  to  satanic  wiles.     But  in  all 
this   there   is   no   injection   of    sin   by    God 
into  the  heart  of  the  stubborn  king. 
Q.  14.     What  should  be  the  practical  influence  of  the 
belief  that  God  foreordained  all  events? 

A.     a.  It  should  induce  a  habit  of  recognizing  Him 
in  all  the  afifairs  of  life ; 
h.  It  should  lead  to  patience  and  resignation  in 
times  of  trial; 

c.  It  should  encourage  to  the  use  of  means,  see- 

ing God  connects  ends  with  means ; 

d.  It  should  induce  a  spirit  of  hope  and  confi- 

dence touching  the  triumph  of  truth  and 
right,  seeing  that  God,  not  chance,  not 
Satan,  or  any  mere  creature,  rules. 

TEXTS  TO   BE   COMMITTED   TO   MEMORY. 

Acts  4:27,  28;  13:48;  Luke  22:22;  Rom.  11:36.;  Eph. 
i:ii;  Phil.  2:12,  13;  Ps.  37:5,  23,  24. 


66  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

QUESTION  VIII. 
How  doth  God  execute  His  decrees? 

ANSWER. 

God  executeth  His  decrees  in  the  works  of 
creation  and  providence. 

Q.  I.     How  may  the  acts  of  God  be  classified? 

A.  They  may  be  reduced  to  two  heads,  namely,  Im- 
manent and  Transitive. 

Q.  2.     What  are  the  immanent  acts  of  God? 

A.  Those  transacted  within  the  Trinity,  and  having 
no  reference  to  creatures. 

Q.  3.  Specify  those  acts  having  no  external  refer- 
ence. 

A.  The  ceaseless  interchanges  of  infinite  love  on 
the  part  of  the  persons  of  the  Trinity.  Jno.  3:35;  5:20; 
17 :24 ;  14 :3i  ;  Is.  42  :i ;  Heb.  1 15  ;  Prov.  8 :30. 

Q.  4.     What  are  the  transitive  acts  of  God? 

A.  Those  which  relate  to  the  universe,  namely,  His 
decrees  and  the  execution  of  them. 

Q.  5.  What  two  departments  of  activity  are  em- 
braced in  the  execution  of  the  decrees? 

A,  Creation  and  providence,  terms  to  be  explained 
under  subsequent  questions. 

TEXTS  TO   BE   COMMITTED   TO   MEMORY. 

Is.  42  :i ;  Prov.  8 :30 ;  Jno.  3  :35  ;  5  :20 ;  17 :24. 


QUESTION  IX. 

What  is  the  work  of  creation? 

ANSWER. 

The  work  of  creation  is  God's  making  all 
things  of  nothing  by  the  word  of  His  power,  in 
the  space  of  six  days,  and  all  very  good. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  67 

Q.  I.  What  is  the  strict  meaning  of  the  word  "crea- 
tion"? 

A.  The  production  of  something,  that  is,  of  some 
entity,  out  of  nothing. 

Q.  2.     How  does  "creating"  differ  from  "making"? 

A.  When  precisely  used,  "to  create"  is  to  originate 
something;  while  "to  make"  means  to  fashion  or  mould 
something  already  created.  But  the  words  are  not  al- 
ways used  in  these  limited  senses. 

Q.  3.  Did  God  originate  the  matter,  or  substance, 
of  the  universe,  as  well  as  the  form? 

A.  Yes.  See  Gen.  i  :i ;  Jno.  i  :3;  Rom.  11 136;  i  Cor. 
8:6;  Rev.  4:11. 

Q.  4.  If  the  matter  of  the  universe  were  self-exist- 
ent, could  God  be  deemed  almighty? 

A.  No;  for  on  this  supposition  there  would  be  a 
wide  range  of  existence  exempted  from  His  control,  that 
is,  independent  of  Him. 

Q.  5.  Does  the  word  "making"  in  the  answer  given 
in  the  Catechism  indicate  both  the  origination  and  the 
framing,  or  fashioning,  of  the  universe? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  6.  How  much  time  was  occupied  in  these  opera- 
tions? 

A.  The  Scriptures  say  six  days.  Gen.  i  :3i ;  Ex. 
20:11. 

Q.  7.  Is  it  necessary  to  understand  by  those  days 
six  ordinary  solar  days? 

A.     It  seems  not  necessary. 

Q.  8.     Why  is  it  not  necessary? 

A.,  a.  Because  the  word  "day"  is  used  to  denote  a 
measure  of  time  exhausted  before  the  sun 
was  established  as  an  index,  or  recorder, 
of  its  flight.  Gen.  i  :5,  7,  13. 
h.  Because  the  word  "day"  is  used  in  Scripture 
with  a  great  latitude  of  meaning.  Gen. 
2:4;  1:5;  Jno.  8:56;  9:4;  2  Cor.  6:2;  Is. 
11:10,  11;  63:4. 


68  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  9.  Does  not  the  fact  that  we  are  required  to  rest 
one  natural,  or  solar,  day  in  seven  imply  that  the  seventh 
day  on  which  God  rested  was  a  solar  day,  and,  if  so,  that 
the  other  six  days  were  the  same  ? 

A.  No.  Our  work  and  rest  are  to  be  in  the  same 
proportion,  but  not  necessarily  of  the  same  duration  as 
God's  work  and  rest. 

Q.  10.  Has  God's  rest  day  been  even  yet  com- 
pleted? 

A,  No.  The  formula  used  at  the  end  of  the  work 
of  each  of  the  first  six  days  is  not  repeated  in  connection 
with  the  seventh  day.  It  is  not  said,  "and  the  evening 
and  the  morning  were  the  seventh  day."  God's  seventh 
day,  we  may  infer,  is  not  yet  ended,  and,  if  so,  it  is  much 
more  than  a  natural,  or  solar,  day. 

Q.  II.  What  is  meant  by  the  clause  "and  all  very 
good"? 

A.  That  everything  was  adapted  to  the  end  for 
which  it  was  made,  and  that  the  end  in  every  case  was 
suitable  to  the  character  of  the  Creator. 

TEXTS  TO   BE  COMMITTED  TO   MEMORY. 

Gen.  2:1-3;  Ps.  8:3,  4;  33  :6-9;  Col.  i  :i6,  17;  Is.  40:12, 
26;  42:5. 


QUESTION  X. 
How  did  God  create  man? 

ANSWER. 

God  created  man,  male  and  female,  after 
His  own  image,  in  knowledge,  righteousness, 
and  holiness,  with  dominion  over  the  creatures. 

Q.  I.     What  classes  of  moral  agents  did  God  create? 
A.     Angels  and  men. 

Q.  2.     What  were  the  original  character  and  condi- 
tion of  angels? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  69 

A.     They  were  holy  and  happy. 

Q.  3.     How  do  we  know  that  they  were  holy? 

A.  a.  The  character  of  God  affords  assurance  that 
He  could  not  create  in  a  sovereign  way  a 
sinful  being-; 
h.  We  read  in  Scripture  of  evil  angels  and  also 
of  holy  angels,  but  the  evil  angels  are 
such  as  fell  from  their  primitive  estate. 
Jude  v.  6;  2  Pet.  2:4. 

Q.  4.  Do  not  men  come  into  the  world  in  a  state  of 
sin? 

A.  Yes ;  because  they  are  born  under  the  shadow  of 
a  broken  covenant;  but  Adam  and  Eve  were  not  created 
in  sin. 

Q.  5.  Is  there  a  close  relation  between  angels  and 
men? 

A.     Yes,  both  for  good  and  for  evil. 

Q.  6.     How  does  evil  come  to  man  from  the  angels? 

A.  The  original  seducer  of  the  race  was  Satan,  the 
prince  of  the  evil  angels;  and  he,  with  his  host  of  fallen 
angels,  is  active  still  in  tempting  men.  Jno.  8:44;  13:2, 
2"/',  Acts  5:3;  Rom.  16:20;  2  Cor.  2:11;  Eph.  2:2;  6:11, 
12;  Rev.  20:3. 

Q.  7.     How  does  good  accrue  to  us  from  angels? 

A.  Holy  angels  are  employed  by  Christ  to  minister 
for  the  good  of  His  people.  Ps.  34:7;  91:11,  12;  Heb. 
1:14. 

Q.  8.     For  the  fallen  angels  is  salvation  provided? 

A.  No;  Christ  did  not  assume  their  nature  with  the 
view  of  helping  them ;  and  they  are  held  in  chains  for 
judgment.    Heb.  2:16;  2  Pet.  2:4;  Jude  v.  6. 

Q.  9.  Among  human  beings  what  marked  distinc- 
tion is  there? 

A.     That  of  sex. 

Q.  10.  By  what  names  were  the  first  human  pair 
distinguished  ? 

A.  In  the  Hebrew  record  the  man  is  called  "Eesh" 
and  the  woman  "Eeshah,"  the  close  connection  and  also 


70  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

the  sexual  difference  between  them  being  thus  express- 
ed. Moreover,  to  the  man  was  given  the  name  ,"Adam," 
probably  to  keep  him  in  mind  of  the  fact  that  his  body 
had  been  formed  of  the  dust  of  the  earth,"  "adamah"  de- 
noting earth  or  ground.  To  the  woman,  but  not  till  after 
the  fall  and  the  announcement  of  salvation  through  her 
seed,  Adam  gave  the  name  "Eve,"  which  means  life. 

Q.  II.     What  are  the  constituents  of  human  nature? 

A.  Matter  and  spirit,  or  soul  and  body,  mysteri- 
ously conjoined.    Gen.  2:7;  Matt.  10:28. 

Q.  12.  From  what  source  was  the  material  part  of 
man's  nature  taken? 

A.  From  "the  dust  of  the  ground."  Gen.  2:7;  3: 
19.  In  the  case  of  Eve,  however,  the  body  was  derived 
from  the  body  of  Adam. 

Q.  13.  Why  was  Eve's  body  derived  from  that  of 
Adam? 

A.  Probably  to  establish  between  them  a  stronger 
sense  of  unity.  This  seems  to  have  been  felt  by  Adam. 
Gen.  2 123.  It  may  be  noted,  however,  that  the  soul  of 
Eve  was  not  derived  from  Adam.  He  recognizes  only  the 
body  of  Eve  as  thus  derived. 

Q.  14.  Is  there  not  another  constituent  of  our  na- 
ture, making  three  in  all,  namely  body,  soul,  and  spirit? 

A.  Many,  think  so,  relying  especially  on  i  Thess. 
5:23  and  Heb.  4:12.  But  in  the  Westminster  Standards 
there  is  nothing  recognized  as  a  constituent  of  our  nature 
except  body  and  soul,  or  spirit.  Nor  is  it  different  in  any 
of  the  great  creeds  of  Christendom. 

Q.  15.  Present  some  objections  to  this  "Tripartite," 
or  threefold,  view. 

A.  a.  It  receives  no  countenance  from  the  original 
account,  as  given  in  Gen.  2 17,  of  the  crea- 
tion of  man.  Surely  "spirit,"  which  is 
supposed  in  this  theory  to  be  the  highest 
constituent  of  our  nature,  would  not  have 
been  omitted;  but  it  has  been,  unless  em- 
braced in  the  term  "soul"; 


'*'.'^f;i; 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  71 

b.  In  Matt.   10:28  only  two  constituents  of  our 

nature  are  named,  namely  "body"  and 
"soul";  but  these  are  evidently  meant  to 
denote  the  entire  man ; 

c.  If  the   soul   differs   from   the   body   and   the 

spirit,  what  becomes  of  it  at  death?  The 
spirit  survives.  The  body  returns  to  dust. 
What  becomes  of  the  supposed  interme- 
diate link,  the  soul? 

d.  The  texts,  viz.,  i  Thess.  5:23,  Heb.  4:12,  in 

which  occurs  the  expression,  "body,  soul, 
and  spirit,"  may  be  regarded  as  meant  to 
express  the  idea  of  entire  manhood  how- 
ever viewed,  just  as  in  Luke  10:27  the 
words  "heart,"  "soul,"  and  "mind"  do  not 
indicate  different  constituents  of  our 
being,  but  dift'erent  aspects,  or  functions, 
of  one  and  the  same  immaterial  principle. 
Q.  16.  Wherein  did  the  "image  of  God,"  in  which 
man  was  created,  consist? 

A.  This  image  in  its  fullest  sense  may  be  viewed  as 
threefold,  namely,  natural,  moral,  and  official. 

Q.  17.  What  is  meant  by  the  natural  element  of  this 
image  ? 

A.     a.  Not  any  resemblance  of  the  body  to  God ;  for 
God  is  a  spirit,  and  can  have  no  material 
similitude.      Deut.    4:15,    16;    Is.    40:18; 
Rom.  1 :23 ; 
b.  The  soul,  or  mind,  endowed  with  the  faculties 
of  a  moral  agent,  viz.,  intellect,  will,  con- 
science,  or   a   sense   of   moral   right   and 
wrong. 
Q.  18.     Is  this  element  of  man's  likeness  to  God  per- 
manent and  indestructible? 

A.  Yes.  After  man  had  sinned,  he  did  not  cease  to 
be  an  intellectual  and  responsible  being.  By  the  fall  he 
did  not  lose  his  identity. 


72  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  19.  What  is  meant  by  the  moral  element  of  the 
image  of  God? 

A.  The  "knowledge,  righteousness,  and  holiness"  of 
which  man  at  his  creation  was  possessed. 

Q.  20.     Prove  that  man  was  created  holy. 
A.     a.  He  was  made  in  the  image  of  God  (Gen.  i : 
2y) ;  and  certainly  holiness  is  an  indispen- 
sable feature  of  God ; 

b.  When   fallen   men   are   made   holy,   they   are 

said  to  be  renewed  after  the  image  of 
God.    Eph.  4:24;  Col.  3:10; 

c.  In  Eccl.  7 :29  it  is  declared  that  God  "made 

man  upright,"  that  is,  conformable  to 
law ;  but  a  state  of  indifference  is  not  con- 
formity to  law.     Luke  11:23. 

Q.  21.  Can  the  moral  element  of  the  image  of  God 
be  lost? 

A.  Yes;  it  was  lost  to  the  race  by  the  sin  of  Adam. 
Eph.  2 :3 ;  4 :22. 

Q.  22.  In  what  other  particular  did  man  at  his  crea- 
tion bear  the  image  of  God? 

A.  In  being  invested  with  dominion  over  the  crea- 
tures. Gen.  1:26,  28;  2:19,  20.  This  may  be  called  the 
official  image,  for  man  was  constituted  under  God  as 
ruler  of  the  earth. 

Q.  23.  Was  this  element  of  the  Divine  image  lost 
by  sin? 

A.  Yes.  The  earth  is  stubborn  and  demands  toil- 
some tillage  in  order  to  produce  adequately.  Gen.  3:17- 
19.  The  beasts  of  the  field  are  in  revolt.  Their  sub- 
servience to  man  is  the  result  of  his  craft  and  force  rather 
than  of  willing  obedience  on  their  part ;  and  oftentimes 
they  set  at  naught  his  rule. 

Q.  24.  What  feelings  may  properly  be  awakened  in 
us  when  we  consider  the  contrast  between  man's  original 
dignity  and  his  fallen  condition? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  73 

A.  Sorrow  and  shame;  but,  along  with  these,  grat- 
itude to  God  for  His  patience  and  the  way  of  recovery- 
provided  and  revealed. 

TEXTS  TO   BE  COMMITTED   TO   MEMORY. 

Gen.  2:7;  3:15,  17-19;  Eph.  4:24;  Col.  3:10;  Eph.  2: 
1-3;  Eccl.  7:29. 


QUESTION  XI. 
What  are  God's  works  of  providence? 

ANSWER. 

God's  works  of  providence  are  His  most 
holy,  wise,  and  powerful  preserving  and  gov- 
erning all  His  creatures  and  all  their  actions. 

Q.  I.     How  may  this  answer  be  divided? 

A.  Into  two  heads,  namely,  the  works  of  providence 
and  their  character, 

Q.  2.     What  are  the  works  of  providence? 

A.  The  preservation  and  the  government  of  the 
universe. 

Q.  3.  Does  the  word  "preserving"  used  in  the  Cate- 
chism apply  to  "actions"  as  well  as  to  "creatures"? 

A.  No.  This  is  one  of  the  very  few  instances  in 
which  the  language  of  the  Catechism  admits  of  improve- 
ment. 

Q.  4.  What  change  in  the  form,  not  in  the  import, 
of  the  answer  might  fitly  be  made  ? 

A,  This  is  submitted,  "God's  works  of  providence 
are  His  most  holy,  wise,  and  powerful  preservation  and 
government  of  all  His  creatures." 

Q.  5.  Prove  that  the  Creator  is  also  the  preserver  of 
the  universe  in  all  its  parts. 

A.  This  is  taught  in  Is.  40:26;  Acts  17:28;  Rom. 
11:36;  Heb.  1:2,  3. 


AN  EXPOSITION  OF 


Q.  6.  What  sentiments  should  the  thought  that 
God  is  upholding  us  in  existence  excite  within  us? 

A.  Humility,  reverence,  and  devotion  to  His  ser- 
vice. 

Q.  7.  Do  all  who  admit  that  there  is  a  God  of  in- 
finite wisdom  and  power  grant  that  He  controls  the  ma- 
terial universe? 

A.  Yes ;  but  some  of  them  conceive  of  Him  as  hav- 
ing set  the  worlds  a-going  and  then  as  having  left  them 
to  the  control  of  certain  laws,  He  Himself  sitting  apart. 

Q.  8.  At  what  point  does  controversy  most  strenu- 
ously begin  among  those  who  admit  in  general  terms  that 
God  rules? 

A.  With  the  question  touching  the  control  of  moral 
agents,  viz.,  angels  and  men. 

Q.  9.     What  difficulty  is  encountered  at  this  point? 

A.  The  problem  of  the  free  agency  and  accounta- 
bility of  angels  and  men  in  view  of  their  sovereign  con- 
trol by  God. 

Q.  10.  Are  there  any  who  hold  that  man  is  only  a 
machine  working  under  general  laws,  like  a  steam  en- 
gine? 

A.  Yes,  not  a  few,  who  consequently  are  bold 
enough  to  say  that  man  is  irresponsible,  acting  only  as  he 
is  acted  upon. 

Q.  II.  Do  Calvinists  lend  any  sanction  to  such  a 
view? 

A.  No.  They  firmly  assert  the  free  agency  of  man, 
as  well  as  the  control  and  foreordination  of  God. 

Q.  12.  Is  it  incumbent  on  Calvinists  to  explain  how 
God  can  foreordain  and  control,  and  yet  man  be  free? 

A.  No.  Their  task  is  to  furnish  evidence  that  each 
of  these  positions  is  sanctioned  by  the  Word  of  God,  and 
that  they  do  not  necessarily  conflict. 

Q.  13.  How  may  the  providence  o£  God  be  charac- 
terized? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  75 

A.  It  is  holy,  wise,  and  powerful.  Ps.  93:1;  103: 
19;  111:7,  8;  119:89-91;  Dan.  4:25,  26;  5:18;  Is.  45:18; 

Rev.  15:  3.4- 

Q.  14.  How  should  we  be  affected  by  a  contempla- 
tion of  the  controlling  influence  of  God? 

A.  We  should  feel  our  dependence  on  Him,  learn 
to  recognize  His  sovereignty  in  the  world,  and  feel  glad 
that  He  Who  rules  over  all  is  holy  and  just  and  good. 

TEXTS  TO   BE  COMMITTED  TO   MEMORY. 

Is.  40:26;  Ps.  9:10;  10:13,  14;  62:11;  Matt.  6:26; 
Dan.  4:25,  26;  5  :i8. 


QUESTION  XII. 

What  special  act  of  providence  did  God  ex- 
ercise toward  man  in  the  estate  wherein  he  was 
created  ? 

ANSWER. 

When  God  had  created  man  He  entered  into 
a  covenant  of  life  with  him,  upon  condition  of 
perfect  obedience,  forbidding  him  to  eat  of  the 
tree  o£  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil  upon 
pain  of  death. 

Q.  I.     What  is  a  covenant? 

A.  It  is  an  agreement  between  two  or  more  parties 
in  which  something  is  promised  on  a  condition  to  be  per- 
formed. 

Q.  2.  What  are  the  parts,  or  essential  features,  of  a 
covenant? 

A.  Parties,  two  ct  more,  a  promise,  and  a  condition 
on  the  fulfilment  of  which  the  promise  hinges. 

Q.  3.     Is  penalty  an  essential  feature  of  a  covenant? 

A.  No.  If  the  parties  entering  into  the  covenant 
are  infallible,  there  may  be  no  penalty  for  non-fulfilment 
of  the  stipulated  condition. 


AN  EXPOSITION  OF 


Q.  4.  In  every  case  is  not  the  benefit  promised  in  a 
covenant  forfeited  by  non-performance  of  the  condition? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  5.  Did  not  failure  on  Adam's  part  to  keep  the 
covenant  made  with  him  entail  upon  him  and  his  natural 
posterity  not  only  forfeiture  of  the  good  promised,  but  a 
positive  penalty? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  6.  Give  proof  that  God  entered  into  a  covenant 
with  Adam. 

A.  a.  The  narrative  in  Gen.  2:16,  17  presents  clear- 
ly the  outline  of  such  a  transaction  be- 
tween God  and  Adam.  Parties,  promise, 
condition,  and  penalty  are  expressed,  or 
clearly  implied; 

b.  In  Hos.  6:7  reference  is  made  to  a  covenant 

broken  by  Adam  :  "They  like  Adam  have 
transgressed  the  covenant."  The  true 
translation  is  that  just  given,  not  "like 
man"  as  in  the  Authorized  Version.  See 
the  very  same  Hebrew  expression  ren- 
dered "like  Adam"  in  Job  31 :33; 

c.  Whatever  evidence  there  is  that  Christ  was 

constituted  a  covenant  head  of  His  people 
contributes  proof  that  Adam  was  a  cove- 
nant head ;  for  a  parallel  between  them  is 
suggested  in  Scripture.  See  i  Cor.  15:22; 
Rom.  5  :  12-21 ; 

d.  That  God  entered  into  covenant  with  men  on 

different  occasions  is  clearly  taught,  and 
therefore  that  He  should  have  entered 
into  covenant  with  Adam  may  not  seem 
strange.  See  Gen.  9:8-17;  17:1-8;  26:3,4; 
35:11,  12;  46:3,  4;  Ex.  24:7,  8;  34:10; 
Deut.  29:12,  25. 
Q.  7.     Who  were  the  parties  in  this  covenant? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  77 

A.  God  and  Adam;  the  latter,  as  will  be  shown, 
standing  as  the  representative  of  his  natural  offspring. 

Q.  8.     What  was  the  promise  involved? 

A.  Life;  and  that  in  a  rich  sense,  physical,  spirit- 
ual, and  eternal. 

Q.  g.     Was  the  promise  expressly  made? 

A.  Not  expressly,  but  by  implication ;  for  if  death 
was  to  be  the  penalty  of  disobedience,  life  must  have 
been  meant  as  the  fruit  of  obedience. 

Q.  10.     What  is  physical,  or  temporal,  life? 

A.  It  is  the  union  and  harmonious  cooperation  of 
the  body  and  soul,  the  material  and  immaterial  compo- 
nents of  our  nature. 

Q.  II.     What  is  spiritual  life? 

A.  It  is  the  possession  of  holy  likeness  to  God  and 
fellowship  with  Him.  Ps.  30:5;  63:3;  Prov.  4:22;  19:23; 
Rom.  8:6. 

Q.  12.     What  is  eternal  life? 

A.  It  is  the  everlasting  possession  in  the  entire 
man  of  spiritual  life.    Rom.  6:23;  8:6;  Jno.  10:28. 

Q.  13.  What  was  the  penalty  annexed  to  this  cove- 
nant? 

A.  Death.  "In  the  day  thou  eatest  thereof  thou 
shalt  surely  die." 

Q.  14.     What  is  the  death  thus  threatened? 

A.  Death  physical  (or  temporal),  spiritual,  and 
eternal. 

Q.  15.  What  is  physical  death  considered  as  a  pen- 
alty? 

A.  It  is  the  judicial,  although  it  may  be  gradual, 
sundering  of  the  soul  and  body,  the  two  constituents  of 
our  nature. 

Q.  16.  How  does  it  appear  that  physical  death  was 
an  ingredient  of  the  threatened  penalty  ? 

A.  a.  Death,  without  limitation,  being  threatened, 
it  is  presumable  that  death  in  its  most  ob- 
vious and  ordinary  sense  was  included; 


78  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

b.  The   sentence   pronounced  by   God,  and   re- 

corded in  Gen.  3  :ig,  proves  that  the  pen- 
alty consisted,  at  least  in  part,  of  physical 
death ; 

c.  Physical  death  is  represented  in  Scripture  as 

a  consequence  of  sin  and  in  itself  a  foe  of 
man.  Ex.  28:43;  Lev.  22:9;  Rom.  5:12- 
14;  I  Cor,  15:26;  Heb.  2:14,  15; 

d.  Men  are  instinctively  averse  to  death,  an  in- 

dication that  it  is  unnatural. 
Q.  17.     Answer  the  objection  that  Adam  lived  phys- 
ically after  the  fall. 

A.     a.  Even   so,   he   came  under  the   sentence   and 
might  be  said  to  be  dead  in  law.    His  life 
was  then  forfeited; 
b.  The  seeds  of  dissolution  were  planted  in  him 
by  sin.     Evil  desires  affect  the  body  in- 
juriously. 
Q.  18.     It  may  be  objected  that  believers  in  Christ, 
who  are  delivered  from  the  curse  due  to  sin,  die  physic- 
ally. 

A.     a.  In  the  believer's  case  physical  death  is  indeed 
a  consequence,  but  not  a  penalty,  of  his  sin. 
For  him  Christ  bore  the  penalty  and  took 
away  the  sting  of  death.     Jno.  11:26;   i 
Cor.  3:21-23;  15:55-57;  Heb.  2:14,  15. 
b.  In  his  case  death  is  the  signal  for  release  from 
pain,  sorrow,  and  sin,  a  result  to  be  wel- 
comed. 
Q.  19.     What  is  spiritual  death? 
A.     It  is  the  loss  of  the  moral  likeness  of  God  and  of 
communion  with  Him. 

Q.  20.     Show  that  spiritual  death  was  an  element  of 
the  penalty  annexed  to  this  covenant. 

A.  a.  The  death  threatened  was  the  opposite  of  the 
life  enjoyed.  But  the  life  which  Adam 
enjoyed  when  the  covenant  was  made 
with  him  was  one  of  holy  likeness  to  God 
and  of  fellowship,  with  Him ; 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  79 

b.  Death    without    limitation    was    threatened. 

Hence  whatever  is  represented  in  Scrip- 
ture as  death  may  be  included.  But  in 
Scripture  a  state  of  sin  is  represented  as  a 
state  of  death.  See  Rom.  8:6;  Eph.  2:1, 
5;  5:14;  Col.  2:13;  I  Tim.  5:6;  Rev.  3:1; 

c.  All  of  Adam's  natural  descendants  are  born 

in  a  state  of  sin ;  but  this  is  unaccounta- 
ble if  spiritual  death  was  not  a  part  of  the 
penalty  annexed  to  this  covenant; 

d.  The  conduct  of  Adam  and  Eve  after  the  fall 

showed  that  spiritual  death  had  seized 
them.  They  sought  to  hide  from  God  and 
lay  blame  on  one  another,  or  on  the  ser- 
pent, rather  than  make  confession.  Gen. 
3:8-13. 

Q.  21.     Does  God  punish  sin  by  making  sinful? 

A.  God  never  infuses  a  sinful  disposition,  but  He 
may,  and  does,  withdraw  in  judgment  from  the  offender, 
in  consequence  of  which  the  latter  sins  more. 

Q.  22.     What  is  eternal  death? 

A.  The  everlasting  separation  of  the  soul  from  God, 
both  as  to  favor  and  as  to  holy  likeness,  and  the  sub- 
jection of  the  whole  man  to  the  judicial  wrath  of  God. 

Q.  23.  Are  there  any  professing  Christianity  who 
deny  this  doctrine  of  eternal  punishment? 

A.  It  is  denied  by  the  sect  called  Universalists,  and 
by  Annihilationists,  or  Destructionists. 

Q.  24.     What  do  Universalists  teach? 

A.     That  all  men  shall  be  saved. 

Q.  25.  What  is  the  distinctive  tenet  of  Destruction- 
ists ? 

A.  That  those  who  die  impenitent  shall  cease  to 
exist  as  conscious  beings.  Some  of  this  party  hold,  how- 
ever, that  extinction  of  consciousness  will  be  preceded  by 
a  period  of  suffering. 


80  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  26.  Present  evidence  that  the  death  threatened  in 
the  covenant  made  with  Adam  included  eternal  misery. 

A.     a.  No  limit  is  set  in  the  terms  of  the  covenant; 
h.  Sin  being  an  offense  against  a  being  of  infi- 
nite excellence  deserves  an  infinite  punish- 
ment; which,  in  the  case  of  a  finite  being, 
implies  endless  punishment; 

c.  Those  who  suffer  penalty  will  continue  to  sin, 

and  this  sin  will  call  for  punishment; 

d.  Many  texts  indicate  directly  that  the  punish- 

ment due  to  sin  is  endless  misery.     See 
Matt.  25:46;  Rom.  6:23;  Jno.  3:36;  Mark 

9  43.  47,  48. 
Q.  27.     What  is  meant  by  the  "condition"  of  a  cove- 
nant? 

A.  That  which  is  necessary  to  entitle  to  the  good 
promised. 

Q.  28.  What  was  the  condition  of  the  covenant 
made  with  Adam? 

A.  The  condition  expressly  mentioned  was  absti- 
nence from  eating  of  the  fruit  of  a  tree  called  "the  tree  of 
the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil,"  but  the  implied  condi- 
tion was  perfect  obedience. 

Q.  29.  How  can  it  be  shown  that  perfect  obedience 
was  required? 

A.  In  order  to  obey  the  law  perfectly  in  even  one 
point  we  must  be  in  harmony  with  the  law  in  every  re- 
spect. Jas.  2:10.  The  offender  in  one  point  sets  at 
naught  the  central  authority  on  which  the  entire  law 
rests,  or  from  which  it  springs. 

Q.  30.  Point  out  the  fitness  of  the  condition  pre- 
scribed. 

A.     a.  It  was  simple  and  intelligible ; 

h.  It  was  easy.    No  heavy  task  was  assigned; 
c.  The  act  forbidden  was   in   itself  indifferent. 
The  prohibition  rested  solely  on  the  sov- 
ereign will  of  God,  and  so  was  well  fitted 
to  be  a  test  of  obedience. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  81 

Q.  31.  Why  was  the  forbidden  tree  called  "the  tree 
of  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil"? 

A.  Probably  because  according  to  man's  abstinence 
from,  or  his  participation  of,  its  fruit  was  to  be  his  expe- 
rience of  good  or  of  evil.  Good  was  to  be  secured  by  ab- 
stinence, evil  to  be  incurred  by  participation. 

Q.  32.  What  other  tree  figures  in  connection  with 
this  covenant? 

A.     "The  tree  of  life." 

Q.  33.  Where  in  the  garden  of  Eden  did  this  tree 
stand  ? 

A.  In  the  midst  of  it,  where  also  was  the  tree  of 
knowledge.    Gen.  2:9;  3:3. 

Q.  34.  What  purpose  was  the  tree  of  life  meant  to 
serve  ? 

A.     a.  Not  as  a  physical  antidote  to  death ; 

h.  But  as  affording  a  pledge  to  him  who  war- 
rantably  partook  of  its  fruit  that  to  him 
belonged  the  life  promised  in  the  cove- 
nant. In  other  words,  the  tree  of  life  was 
symbolical  and  sacramental  in  its  intent. 

Q.  35.  What  then  is  meant  by  the  words  which  in 
Gen.  3:22  are  attributed  to  God,  "And  now  lest  he  put 
forth  his  hand  and  take  also  of  the  tree  of  life  and  eat  and 
live  for  ever"? 

A.  If  the  tree  of  life  was  meant  like  a  sacrament  to 
be  a  pledge  of  endless  life  and  blessedness  to  him  who 
lawfully  partook  of  it,  the  permission  of  Adam  and  Eve 
after  their  fall  to  eat  of  its  fruit  would  have  been  to  en- 
courage in  them  a  false  hope  and  set  the  seal  of  God  to 
a  lie. 

Q.  36.  Had  Adam  and  Eve,  while  in  a  state  of  pro- 
bation and  before  completing  the  condition  of  the  cove- 
nant, a  right  to  eat  of  the  tree  of  life  ? 

A.  Many  think  they  had,  and  forcible  arguments 
may  be  urged  on  that  side.  Still,  if  the  fruit  in  question 
was  sacramental  and  therefore  sealing  in  import,  the  title 


82  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

to  it  belonged  only  to  those  who  were  entitled  to  the 
blessing  symbolized.  In  corroboration  of  this  view  Rev. 
2  :y  may  be  cited,  where  it  is  intimated  that  only  he  who 
has  overcome  is  entitled  to  eat  of  the  tree  of  life. 

Q.  37.  What  designations  are  currently  given  to  the 
Adamic  covenant? 

A.  It  is  described  in  the  Catechism  as  a  "covenant 
of  life,"  but  more  generally  it  is  styled  "the  covenant  of 
works." 

Q.  38.  Why  may  it  properly  be  called  "a  covenant 
of  life"? 

A.  Because  "life"  in  a  rich  sense  was  the  promise 
in  it. 

Q.  39.  Why  may  it  fitly  be  called  a  "covenant  o£ 
works"? 

A.  Because  the  condition  of  it  was  obedience,  or 
compliance  with  a  prescribed  order. 

Q.  40.  Might  not  this  covenant  be  styled  "a  cove- 
nant of  grace"? 

A.  Very  fitly;  although  eclipsed  by  another  cove- 
nant which  emphatically  deserves  the  title. 

Q.  41.  How  does  grace  appear  in  the  Adamic  cove- 
nant? 

A.     a.  God  was  entitled,  apart  from  any  covenant, 
to  man's  fullest  obedience ; 
b.  The  condition  prescribed  was  singularly  easy; 
.  c.  The  boon  promised  was  inexpressibly  desira- 
ble. 

Q.  42.  Might  not  a  hearty  performance  of  the  con- 
dition of  this  covenant  have  reasonably  been  expected? 

A.  Assuredly  so  in  view  of  its  tenor  and  the  char- 
acter of  Adam  and  Eve. 

TEXTS  TO   BE   COMMITTED  TO   MEMORY. 

Gen.  2:16,  17;  Rom.  8:6;  Col.  2:13;  Heb.  2:14,  15; 
Gen.  3:8-13. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  83 

QUESTION  XIII. 

Did  our  first  parents  continue  in  the  estate 
wherein  they  were  created? 

ANSWER. 

Our  first  parents,  being  left  to  the  freedom 
of  their  own  will,  fell  from  the  estate  wherein 
they  were  created  by  sinning  against  God. 

Q.  I.     What  is  meant  by  "the  freedom  of  the  will"? 

A.  The  liberty  and  power  to  exercise  volition  ac- 
cording to  one's  own  disposition. 

Q.  2.  Does  "freedom  of  will"  import  a  power  to  will 
contrary  to  the  bent,  or  inclination,  of  the  soul  at  the 
time  of  willing? 

A.  No.  The  conception  seems  to  involve  an  ab- 
surdity. An  outward  act  may  be  the  effect  of  coercion ; 
but  a  volition  must  be  the  product  of  our  inclination  on 
the  whole  at  the  time. 

Q.  3.  Is  this  principle  affirmed  in  the  Westminster 
Confession? 

A.  Yes.  In  Chap.  IX.,  Sec.  i  of  that  Confession 
occurs  this  statement:  "God  hath  endued  the  will  of 
man  with  that  natural  liberty  that  it  is  neither  forced, 
nor  by  any  absolute  necessity  of  nature  determined  to 
good  or  evil." 

Q.  4.  How  did  Adam  and  Eve  prove  that  they  acted 
freely  when  they  ate  the  forbidden  fruit? 

A.  When  questioned  by  God,  they  did  not  plead  as 
an  excuse  that  they  had  been  coerced  to  act  as  they  did. 

Q.  5.  Could  God  have  sustained  Adam  and  Eve  so 
that  they  should  not  have  sinned? 

A.  He  could  certainly;  but,  for  reasons  unques- 
tionably wise  and  holy.  He  did  not  exert  His  power  to 
this  end. 

Q.  6.  Was  there  any  evil  influence  brought  to  bear 
on  our  first  parents  to  bring  about  their  fall? 


84  ^iV  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.  Yes.  One  called  "the  Serpent"  was  active  in 
seducing  them  to  evil. 

Q.  7.     Who  was  the  real  tempter  in  the  case? 
A.     Satan,   a  fallen  angel   and  prince  of  the  other 
fallen  angels. 

Q.  8.     How  does  this  appear  true? 
A.     From  the   follov^ing  texts : — Jno.   8  44 ;    i    Cor, 
11:3;  I  Jno.  3:8;  Rev.  12:9. 

Q.  9.  Was  there  not  a  real,  literal  serpent  engaged 
in  the  temptation? 

A.     Yes;  but  only  as  a  tool  or  instrument? 
Q.  10.     How  may  it  be  proved  that  a  literal  serpent 
was  in  some  way  engaged  in  the  temptation  ? 

A.     a.  From  the  sober  narrative  in  Gen.  3:1 ; 

h.  From  the  terms  used  by  God  in  passing  sen- 
tence on  the  tempter.  These  have  a  sub- 
ordinate reference  to  the  serpent  species 
and  fulfilment  in  it,  while  culminating  in 
the  doom  of  Satan  and  his  host.  Gen. 
3:14. 
Q.  II.  What  were  the  immediate  effects  of  the 
temptation? 

A.  The  sin  of  Adam  and  Eve  and,  thereby,  their 
fall  from  the  high  estate  of  character,  privilege,  and  pros- 
pect in  which  they  stood. 

TEXTS  TO   BE   COMMITTED   TO   MEMORY. 

Gen.  3:1,  14 ;  Jno.  8 144 ;  i  Cor.  11 :3 ;  i  Jno.  3  :8 ;  Rev. 
12:9. 


QUESTION  XIV. 

What  is  sin? 

ANSWER. 


Sin  is  any  want  of  conformity  unto,  or  trans- 
gression of,  the  law  of  God. 

Q.  I.     What  does  all  sin  presuppose? 
A.     A  moral  law.    Rom.  4:15;  i  Jno.  3:4. 
Q.  2.     Is  the  notion  a  just  one  that  the  counteraction 
of  "physical  laws"  is  a  sin? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  85 

A.  No.  The  so-called  "physical  laws"  are  not  com- 
mands addressed  to  the  conscience,  but  methods  in  which 
God  operates  in  the  material  world,  and  we  are  constant- 
ly, and  with  Divine  approval,  using  one  of  these  "laws" 
to  counteract  another;  clothes,  for  instance,  to  prevent, 
or  modify,  the  escape  of  heat  from  the  body.''' 

Q.  3.  Is  the  moral  law  meant  to  regulate  our  con- 
duct in  regard  to  physical  "laws"  or  arrangements? 

A.  Yes.  It  requires  us  to  use  these  for  our  own 
benefit,  for  that  of  others,  and  for  the  glory  of  God. 

Q.  4.     Does  all  sin  consist  of  action? 

A.  No.  There  may  be  a  sin  of  state,  or  nature,  as 
well  as  of  action.  Sin  is  lawlessness,  or  nonconformity 
to  law,  according  to  the  proper  translation  of  i  Jno.  3:4; 
arid  this  nonconformity  may  be  as  true  of  our  nature  and 
our  habitual  attitude  toward- God  as  of  our  acts.  A  lion 
is  a  ravenous  beast  when  asleep,  or  when  only  a  cub,  as 
well  as  when  it  is  tearing  its  prey.f 

Q.  5.     Mention  different  forms  of  sin. 

A.  Original  sin,  or  sin  of  nature,  and  actual  sin,  or 
sin  of  action ;  sin  of  omission  and  sin  of  commission ;  sin 
of  ignorance  and  sin  of  light;  pardonable  sin  and  sin  un- 
pardonable, or  that  against  the  Holy  Ghost.  Romanists 
add,  but  improperly,  mortal  sins  and  venial  sins. 

TEXTS  TO   BE  COMMITTED   TO    MEMORY. 

Rom.  4:15;  Jas.  3:15;  i  Jno.  3:4. 


Note  I. 

Owing  to  the  diversity  of  meanings  attaching  to  the 
word  "law,"  many  false  views  find  currency.  We  are  ha- 
bitually, and  most  warrantably,  evading  or  neutralizing 
or  resisting  what  are  called  "laws  of  nature."  But  in 
evading  or  fighting  one  "law"  we  press  into  our  service 

*See  Note  i  at  the  end  of  Question  XIV. 
tSee  Note  2  at  the  end  of  Question  XIV. 


86  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

another  "law."  If  I  thrust  my  hand  into  a  fire,  I  shall 
be  burned ;  and  in  a  loose  way  the  pain  thus  incurred 
may  be  called  a  penalty  of  my  act.  Properly  speaking, 
however,  the  penalty  attaches  to  my  imprudence,  or  my 
wilful  violation  of  the  Sixth  Commandment.  There  may 
be  a  case  supposed  in  which  it  might  be  my  duty  to  ex- 
pose not  only  my  hand,  but  my  whole  body,  to  the 
flames.  The  suffering  might  be  the  same  in  both  cases ; 
but  in  the  latter  case  it  could  not  fitly  be  called  penalty, 
that  is,  pain  inflicted  to  satisfy  justice.  We  are  constant- 
ly pitting  one  so-called  "law  of  nature"  against  another. 
When  a  man  raises  his  arm,  or  rears  his  head,  or  em- 
ploys an  umbrella  to  protect  himself  against  rain,  he  is 
counteracting  the  "law"  of  gravitation.  Does  he,  there- 
fore, commit  sin?  When  we  build  a  house  in  which  to 
live  we  make  assaults  upon  many  physical  "laws."  Is  it 
then  sinful  to  build  a  house?  Dr.  Thomas  J.  Crawford 
in  a  note  appended  to  his  masterly  treatise  on  "The 
Atonement"  sets  in  a  clear  light  the  fallacy  which  lurks 
in  certain  applications  of  the  word  "law." 

Note  II. 

On  the  theory  that  apart  from  action  of  the  will 
there  can  be  no  sin,  or  that  sin  pertains  only  to  acts  of 
will,  and  not  also  to  the  state,  or  moral  posture,  of  the 
soul,  a  few  remarks  may  be  in  place. 

1.  On  this  principle  a  man  has  no  character  unless 
when  he  is  acting.  This  is  as  absurd  as  to  say  that  a 
tiger  is  a  ferocious  beast  only  when  it  is  actually  seizing 
and  devouring  its  prey.  The  abiding  posture  of  a  man's 
soul,  rather  than  his  occasional  action,  is  the  measure  of 
his  character. 

2.  The  Scriptures  denounce  as  sinful  certain  states 
or  tendencies  of  the  soul  apart  from  acts.  Jer.  17:9;  Rom, 
7:17,  20;  8:6,  7. 

3.  In  proportion  to  the  settled  tendency  of  a  man 
to  sin  or  to  holiness  is  he  counted  wicked  or  holy.    This 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  87 

estimate  proceeds  from  the  conception,  which  we  cannot 
repress,  that  sin  and  holiness  consist  not  merely  in  posi- 
tive acts  of  the  will  but  also  in  permanent  moral  ten- 
dencies. 


QUESTION  XV. 


What  was  the  sin  whereby  our  first  parents 
fell  from  the  estate  wherein  they  were  created? 

ANSWER. 

The  sin  whereby  our  first  parents  fell  from 
the  estate  wherein  they  were  created  was  their 
•     eating  the  forbidden  fruit. 

Q,  I.  Had  Adam  and  Eve  already  sinned  before  ac- 
tually partaking  of  the  forbidden  fruit? 

A.  Yes.  Eve's  listening  to  the  serpent's  insinua- 
tions against  God,  and  her  entertaining  for  an  instant 
the  suggestion  to  do  what  she  knew  to  have  been  prohib- 
ited by  God,  and  Adam's  hearkening  for  a  moment  to  her 
solicitations,  were  sins  committed  before  the  direct 
br>each  of  covenant. 

Q.  2.  How  then  can  the  eating  of  the  forbidden  fruit 
be  fitly  called  the  "first  sin"  of  Adam  and  Eve? 

A.  It  was  the  first  completed  sin,  or  the  first  oiitivard 
act  of  disobedience  to  God.  "Sin,  when  it  is  finished  (or 
full-grown),  bringeth  forth  death."    Jas.  i  :i5. 

Q.  3.  Did  God  in  the  covenant  threaten  death  for 
sin  merely? 

A.  No;  but  for  sin  carried  into  outward  action. 
"In  the  day  thou  eatest  thereof,"  it  was  said,  "thou  shalt 
surely  die." 

Q.  4.  Point  out  some  aggravations  of  this  sin,  that 
is,  some  features  of  it  which  contributed  to  its  heinous- 
ness. 


AN  EXPOSITION  OF 


A.  a.  It  was  done  against  great  condescension  on 
the  part  of  God  in  binding  Himself  by 
covenant  to  His  creature,  God  was  en- 
titled, independently  of  any  covenant,  to 
man's  fullest  obedience;  but  still  more  so 
in  view  of  the  signal  favor  done  in  enter- 
ing into  a  covenant  relation  with  Adam; 

b.  Already  Adam  and  Eve  were  amply  supplied 

with  food  nutritious  and  pleasant.  Gen. 
2:16;  3:2; 

c.  The  sin  was  definite  and  palpable.    There  are 

some  forms  of  sin  so  subtle  that  one  may 
not  easily  know  when  he  is  on  the  point 
of  yielding  to  them ;  but  no  such  plea  can 
be  urged  in  regard  to  the  sin  of  eating  the 
forbidden  fruit,  a  sin  committed  by  the 
whole  man,  both  soul  and  body; 

d.  The  most  fundamental  ingredient  in  this  sin 

was  unbelief.  God  had  said  expressly  to 
Adam,  "thou  shalt  not  eat  of  it ;  for  in  the 
day  that  thou  eatest  thereof  thou  shalt 
surely  die" ;  but  the  Tempter  contradicted 
Him,  and  with  the  Tempter  Adam  and 
Eve  sided; 

e.  If  our  first  parents  stood  in  this  transaction 

sponsors  for  their  natural  posterity,  as  we 
believe  was  the  case,  and  were  aware  of 
this  responsibility,  as  seems  most  proba- 
ble, their  sin  assumes  a  darker  hue. 

TEXTS  TO   BE  COMMITTED   TO    MEMORY. 

Gen.  2:16;  3:2,  3;  Jas.  1:15. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  89 

QUESTION  XVI. 

Did  all  mankind  fall  in  Adam's  first  trans- 
gression? 

ANSWER. 

The  covenant  being  made  with  Adam,  not 
only  for  himself  but  for  his  posterity,  all  man- 
kind descending  from  him  by  ordinary  genera- 
tion sinned  in  him  and  fell  with  him  in  his  first 
transgression. 

Q.  I.  How  does  it  appear  that  the  covenant  made 
with  Adam  included  also  his  posterity? 

A.  a.  Several  other  arrangements  which  at  first 
sight  might  seem  to  relate  only  to  the 
first  pair  are  found  to  refer  also  to  their 
offspring.  For  instance,  the  right  and 
duty  to  subdue  and  replenish  the  earth, 
the  law  of  marriage,  the  curse  of  toil  pro- 
nounced upon  Adam  and  of  travail  upon 
Eve,  attached  to  Adam's  posterity  as  well 
as  to  himself  and  Eve.  It  would  seem 
anomalous  were  it  otherwise  with  the 
covenant ; 

b.  The  fact  of  the  universal  sinfulness  of  our  race 

can  best  be  accounted  for  on  the  supposi- 
tion that  it  is  the  fruit  and  penalty  of 
Adam's  sin  as  our  covenant  head ; 

c.  The  parallel  intimated  in  Scripture  between 

the  way  of  justification  in  Christ  and  of 
condemnation  in  Adam  favors  this  view. 
If  the  merit  of  Christ  is  our  justifying 
righteousness,  the  demerit  of  Adam  as  our 
representative  is  the  primary  ground  of 
our  condemnation,  i  Cor.  15:22;  Rom.  5: 
19; 


90  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

d.  It  is  expressly  declared  in  Scripture  that 
"through  one  man  sin  entered  into  the 
world,  and  death  through  sin ;  and  so 
death  passed  unto  all  men,  for  that  all 
sinned"  (Rom.  5:12,  R.  V.).  This  seems 
certainly  to  mean  that  when  Adam  sinned 
the  human  race  represented  by  him  sin- 
ned ;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  when 
Christ  obeyed  unto  death,  all  whom  He 
represented  might  be  said  to  have  kept 
the  precepts  of  the  law  and  borne  its  pen- 
alty. Rom.  5  \ig. 
Q.  2.     Why  may  not  the  sinful  condition  of  Adam's 

posterity  be  ascribed  simply  to  physical  connection  with 

him,  without  reference  to  a  covenant? 

A.  a.  This  conception  would,  to  say  the  least,  af- 
ford no  relief  from  the  moral  difficulty 
presented; 
h.  If  a  covenant  was  indeed  made  with  Adam,  it 
would  be  nothing  singular  if  it  extended 
to  his  progeny  as  well  as  to  himself.  In 
other  covenants  made  by  God,  as,  for  in- 
stance. His  covenant  with  Noah,  with  Ab- 
raham, with  the  Israelites  at  Sinai,  such 
comprehensiveness  is  exemplified ; 

c.  On    this    supposition    the    human    nature    of 

Christ  must  have  been  vitiated,  for  He 
was  physically  connected  with  Adam ; 

d.  If  on  the  ground  of  mere  natural  descent  we 

are  involved  in  the  guilt  of  Adam's  first 
sin,  why  should  not  the  guilt  of  some  of 
his  sins  subsequently  committed  descend 
upon  us?  Clearly  in  Rom.  5:15-18  only 
one  sin  of  Adam  is  reckoned  to  his  pos- 
terity, that,  namely,  by  which  he  broke 
the  covenant. 

Q.  3.     Did  Adam  in  the  covenant  represent  Christ? 

A.     No. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  91 

Q,  4.     How  may  this  be  proved? 

A.  a*  Adam,  being  a  person,  properly  represented 
persons ;  but  Christ  as  man  was  not  a  per- 
son; 
h.  Had  the  human  nature  of  Christ  been  repre- 
sented by  Adam,  it  must  have  shared  in 
his  fall  and  been  disqualified  for  making 
atonement; 

c.  Had  Adam  kept  the  covenant,  our  race  would 

not  have  needed  a  Saviour.  But  it  was  to 
glorify  God  in  the  salvation  of  sinners  of 
our  race  that  Christ  came  into  this  world, 
Jno.  3:16;  I  Tim.  1:15.  The  coming  of 
Christ  in  our  nature  hinged  not  on  the 
making  of  the  covenant  with  Adam,  but 
on  the  breaking  of  it ; 

d.  The  unique  mode  of  Christ's  conception  can 

be  accounted  for  solely  on  the  ground  that 
it  was  the  purpose  of  God  that,  while  of 
our  race,  Christ  should  not  be  of  it  in  such 
a  sense  as  to  be  represented  by  Adam.* 
Q.  5.  In  which  of  Adam's  sins  were  his  descendants 
implicated? 

A.  In  his  first  sin.  Rom.  5:12,  15-18.  By  that  one 
completed  sin  the  covenant  was  broken.  Adam  ceased 
then  to  be  a  covenant  head.  His  subsequent  sins  attach- 
ed to  himself  personally,  or  if  they  afifected  his  posterity 
they  did  so  only  by  way  of  evil  example  or  suggestion. 

TEXTS  TO  BE   COMMITTED  TO   MEMORY. 

•Rom.  5:12-19;  I  Cor.  15:22;  Gen.  3:13-19. 


Note. 

Dr.  W.  G.  Shedd,  in  his  ardent  advocacy  of  the  Real- 
istic, or  Solidarity,  theory  as  to  the  relation  between 
Adam  and  his  posterity,  has  been  led  to  use  language 

*See  Note  at  end  of  Question  XVI. 


92  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

touching  the  humanity  of  Christ  which,  in  our  view, 
savors  of  blasphemy.  He  very  plainly  held  that  the 
human  nature  of  Christ  needed  to  be  both  justified  and 
sanctified.  His  language  is  often  vague  and  sometimes 
seem.s  self-contradictory;  but  the  drift  of  it  is  as  just  in- 
dicated. Two  or  three  extracts  from  his  "Systematic 
Theology"  will  confirm  the  remark  just  made. 

"Had  Christ  been  born  of  Mary's  substance  in  the 
ordinary  manner,  He  would  have  been  a  sinful  man.  His 
humanity  prior  to  His  conception  was  an  unindividual- 
ized  part  of  the  common  human  nature.  He  was  the  'seed 
of  the  woman,'  the  'seed  of  David.'  As  such  simply,  His 
human  nature  was  like  that  of  David  and  Mary,  fallen 
and  sinful.  It  is  denominated  'sinful  flesh'  in  Rom.  8:3. 
It  required  perfect  sanctification  before  it  could  be  as- 
sumed into  union  with  the  Second  Trinitarian  person, 
and  it  obtained  it  through  the  miraculous  conception." 
Sys.  Theol.,  Vol.  I.,  p.  81. 

"Theologians  have  confined  their  attention  mainly  to 
the  sanctification  of  Christ's  human  nature,  saying  little 
about  its  justiti cation.  But  a  complete  Christology  must 
include  the  latter  as  well  as  the  former.  Any  nature  that 
requires  sanctification  requires  justification,  because  sin 
is  guilt  as  well  as  pollution.  The  Logos  could  not  unite 
with  a  human  nature  taken  from  the  Virgin  Mary,  and 
transmitted  from  Adam,  unless  it  had  previously  been 
delivered  from  both  the  condemnation  and  the  corruption 
of  sin.  The  idea  of  redemption  also  includes  both  justifi- 
cation and  sanctification,  and  it  is  conceded  that  that  por- 
tion of  human  nature  which  the  Logos  assumed  into 
union  with  Himself  was  redeemed.  His  own  humanity 
was  the  first  fruits  of  His  redemptive  work.  'Christ  the 
first-fruits,  afterwards  they  that  are  Christ's.'  i  Cor.  15: 
23,  Consequently  the  doctrine  is  not  fully  constructed 
unless  this  side  of  it  is  presented.  So  far,  then,  as  the 
guilt  of  Adam's  sin  rested  upon  that  unindividualized  por- 
tion of  the  common  fallen  nature  of  Adam  assumed  by  the 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  93 

Logos,  it  was  expiated  by  the  one  sacrifice  on  Calvary." 
Sys.  Theol.,  Vol.  II.,  p.  82. 

Dr.  Shedd  claims  that  his  view  has  received  the  sanc- 
tion of  many  orthodox  theologians,  John  Owen  among 
the  number;  but  we  do  not  think  the  claim  can  be  estab- 
lished. Edward  Irving,  however,  might  be  quoted  in  its 
favor. 

Fatal  to  the  opinion  put  forward  on  this  subject  by 
Dr.  Shedd  are  the  two  following  considerations : 

1.  If  the  human  nature  which  Christ  assumed  was, 
prior  to  the  instant  of  assumption,  sinful,  what  need  was 
there  for  the  miraculous  conception?  In  other  words, 
why  did  not  Christ  have  a  human  father  as  well  as  a 
human  mother?  The  fact  that  in  His  case  there  was  a 
deviation  from  the  ordinary  mode  of  generation  is  pre- 
sumptive evidence  that  some  good  reason  for  the  devia- 
tion existed.  And  what  reason  can  there  have  been  ex- 
cept this,  that  the  guilt  and  corruption  of  our  fallen  na- 
ture might  not  pass  through  to  Him?  The  miraculous 
conception  of  the  human  nature  of  Christ  can  be  account- 
ed for  only  on  the  ground  that  He  was  not  to  have  any 
participation  in  our  sin.  He  was  made  in  "the  likeness" 
only  "of  sinful  flesh."  He  was  made  sin,  but  in  such  a 
sense  that  "He  knew  no  sin."  He  took  part  with  us  in 
flesh  and  blood,  but  not  in  sinful  flesh  and  blood. 

2.  The  justification  and  sanctification  of  Christ's 
human  nature  must  have  proceeded  upon  the  basis  either 
of  atonement,  or  of  simple  sovereignty.  If  on  the  basis 
of  atonement,  then  who  made  this  atonement?  If  it  be 
said  that  Christ  atoned  for  Himself,  then  He,  as  well  as 
we,  must  have  needed  salvation.  But  He  is  never  said  in 
Scripture  to  have  saved  Himself.  If  on  the  basis  of  sim- 
ple sovereignty,  then  why  might  not  all  the  elect  have 
been  saved  on  the  same  ground?  And  what  need  was 
there  for  any  atonement?  If  pressed  by  the  question, 
"How  could  a  holy  nature  spring  from  the  Virgin  tinc- 
tured with  sin"?  we  may  answer  that  the  flesh  of  Mary 


94  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

apart  from  her  person,  or  detached  by  the  Spirit  of  God 
in  the  moment  of  conception,  was  not  sinful.  The  body 
viewed  apart  from  the  soul  is  devoid  of  moral  character, 
as  much  so  as  is  the  ground  on  which  we  tread.  The  in- 
stant in  which  the  matter  of  the  body  of  Mary  was  de- 
tached by  the  Spirit  to  form  the  body  of  Christ  that  mat- 
ter was  sinless;  and  only  in  the  instant  in  which  it  was 
united  with  the  soul  of  Christ  did  it  as  a  constituent  of 
His  complex  human  nature  assume  a  moral  character. 

This  view  assumes  the  truth  of  the  theory  of  Crea- 
tionism,  which  is  that  the  soul  is  not  propagated,  as  is 
the  body,  but  by  a  direct  act  of  God  is  united  with  the 
body  in  the  moment  of  quickening.  This  we  take  to  be 
the  correct  theory,  and  indeed  the  only  one  admissible,  in 
regard  to  the  formation  of  the  human  nature  of  Christ. 


QUESTION  XVII. 

Into  what  estate  did  the  fall  bring  man- 
kind? 

ANSWER. 

The  fall  brought  mankind  into  an  estate  of 
sin  and  misery. 

Q.  I.  Did  the  disobedience  of  Adam  and  Eve  bring 
them  into  a  dire  change  of  attitude  toward  God  and  His 
law? 

A.  Yes.  Their  act  changed  their  state  and  char- 
acter. 

Q.  2.     What  evidence  of  this  was  given? 

A.  This  has  already  been  in  substance  furnished 
under  a  previous  question,  but  may  be  reproduced  here : 

a.  After  eating  the  forbidden  fruit  they  sought 

to  hide  from  God.     This  conduct  betrays 
both  dread  and  dislike  of  their  Creator; 

b.  When   questioned  as   to  their   conduct   they 

sought  respectively  to  shift  the  blame  to 
some  one  else ; 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  95 

c.  God  passed  sentence  on  them  as  guilty.    Gen. 

3:15-19; 

d.  Death,  a  word  to  denote  all  evils,  became  the 

doom  of  the  race.  Rom.  5:12,  17;  6:23; 
Gal.  3:10. 

Q.  3.  Is  it  clear  that  the  state  of  sin  and  misery  into 
which  Adam  and  Eve  fell  passed  over  also  to  their  na- 
tural descendants? 

A.     Yes.    Rom.  5:12,  19;  i  Cor.  15:22;  Eph.  2:1-3. 

Q.  4.  Ought  not  the  thought  of  our  deplorable  state 
by  nature  to  produce  within  us  deep  sorrow,  self-abase- 
ment, and  yearning  for  deliverance? 

A.     Assuredly  so. 

TEXTS  TO   BE   COMMITTED   TO    MEMORY. 

Ps.  53:2,  3;  Rom.  3:9,  19;  Gal.  3:22;  Eph.  4:17-19; 
Gen.  3:15-19- 


QUESTION  XVIII. 

Wherein  consists  the  sinfulness  of  that  estate 
whereinto  man  fell? 

ANSWER. 

The  sinfulness  of  that  estate  whereinto  man 
fell  consists  in  the  guilt  of  Adam's  first  sin,  the 
want  of  original  righteousness,  and  the  corrup- 
tion of  his  whole  nature,  which  is  commonly 
called  Original  Sin,  together  with  all  actual 
transgressions  which  proceed  from  it. 

Q.  I.  How  many,  and  what,  features  of  man's  fallen 
state  are  here  enumerated? 

A.  Four,  namely,  guilt,  lack  of  original  righteous- 
ness, corruption  of  his  nature,  and  actual  sin. 

Q.  2.     What  is  guilt? 

A.  Used,  as  it  often  is,  loosely,  the  word  "guilt"  is 
equivalent  to  sin ;  but  in  strict  usage  it  is  employed  to  de- 
note just  liability  to  punishment  for  sin. 


96  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  3,  When  Christ  undertook  to  bear  our  sins  did 
He  become  guilty? 

A.  Yes.  Our  sins,  as  to  their  punishment,  became 
chargeable  to  Him.  2  Cor.  5:21;  Is.  53:6,  10;  Ps.  40:12; 
69:5. 

Q.  4.  Did  Christ,  however,  when  He  assumed  our 
guilt  become  corrupt? 

A.     No.    2  Cor.  5:21 ;  Heb.  4:15 ;  7:26. 

Q.  5.  Did  all  of  Adam's  natural  descendants  incur 
guilt  through  his  sin? 

A.     Yes.    Rom.  5:12,  16,  18,  19. 

Q.  6.     How  could  they  incur  guilt  from  Adam's  sin? 

A.  Through  the  fact  that  he  represented  them  in 
the  covenant. 

Q.  7.  Which  of  Adam's  sins  is  chargeable  to  his  off- 
spring? 

A.  His  first  completed  sin,  or  that  by  which  he 
broke  the  covenant  which  God  had  made  with  him.  Hav- 
ing violated  the  covenant,  he  ceased  to  be  the  legal  rep- 
resentative of  his  progeny.  He  had  been  tried  and  had 
failed.  There  was  no  renewal  of  the  covenant ;  but  the 
penalty  of  the  broken  covenant  attached  to  him  and  to 
those  whom  he  represented.     Rom.  5:15-19. 

Q.  8.  What  is  the  second  element,  or  feature,  of  the 
sinful  estate  incurred  by  the  fall? 

A.     "The  want  of  original  righteousness." 

Q.  g.  In  what  did  this  original  righteousness  con- 
sist? 

A.  In  the  perfect  conformity  of  man's  nature  to  the 
law  of  God. 

Q.  10.  Can  a  nature  before  it  has  begun  to  act, 
or  while  it  is  inactive,  be  either  holy  or  sinful? 

A.  Yes.  Action  is  the  fruit,  but  the  nature  is  the 
root,  and  as  is  the  one  so  is  the  other.  Matt.  7:17,  18; 
Luke  6:43-45. 

Q.  II.     How  was  man's  original  righteousness  lost? 

A.  By  the  act  of  disobedience  in  the  matter  of  the 
forbidden  fruit. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  97 

Q.  12.  Was  the  withdrawal  of  the  Spirit  a  part  of 
the  penalty  incurred  by  that  sin? 

A.  Yes.  The  house  of  the  soul  was  then  left  deso- 
late. 

Q.  13.  Was  the  holiness  which  characterized  our 
first  parents  in  the  beginning  of  their  existence  produced 
by  the  Holy  Spirit? 

A.  There  is  reason  to  believe  that  all  the  holiness 
that  has  marked  angels  and  men  proceeded  from  the  Holy 
Spirit. 

Q.  14.  Why  is  the  word  "want"  instead  of  the  word 
"loss"  used  in  the  answer  now  under  consideration? 

A.  In  the  case  of  Adam  and  Eve  there  was  a  loss 
of  something  which  they  actually  possessed.  Their  nat- 
ural descendants  come  into  the  world  destitute  of  holi- 
ness. In  the  one  case  there  was  a  loss.  In  the  other  case 
there  is  a  lack. 

Q.  15.  What  is  the  third  feature  of  man's  fallen  es- 
tate? 

A.  The  corruption,  or  positive  degeneracy,  of  his 
whole  nature. 

Q.  16.     What  is  the  nature  of  this  corruption? 

A.  It  is  the  alienation  of  the  soul  from  God,  and  the 
perversion  of  both  soul  and  body  to  evil.  Rom.  8:7; 
Eph.  2 :3. 

Q.  17.  Would  not  a  state  of  mere  apathy,  or  indif- 
ference, toward  God  be  sinful? 

A.  Yes.  The  absence  of  love  to  God  in  the  case  of 
a  responsible  creature  is  at  variance  with  the  moral  law, 
which  enjoins  us  to  love  God. 

Q.  18.  Is  man,  as  fallen,  averse  to  God,  and  not 
merely  lacking  in  love? 

A.     Yes.    Rom.  8:7;  Jno.  3:19. 

Q.  19.  Has  God  ever  infused  into  any  of  His  crea- 
tures a  sinful  disposition  or  impulse? 

A.  No;  Jas.  i  :i2.  But  He  may  judicially,  or  in  the 
way  of  punishment,  withdraw  from  a  creature,  leaving 


98  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

him  to  his  own  impulses  and  the  temptations  of  others. 
Rom.  1 :28-30. 

Q.  20.  Did  man  by  the  fall  become  as  wicked  as  pos- 
sible? 

A.  No;  but  his  whole  nature  became  vitiated. 
Growth  in  sin  is  possible  as  well  as  growth  in  holiness. 
A  grain  of  poison  may  vitiate  a  glass  of  water,  but  not  so 
much  so  as  an  ounce  would.* 

Q.  21.  What  is  the  fourth  aspect,  or  feature,  of  our 
fallen  estate? 

A.  A  condition  of  actual  transgression,  or  the  out- 
come of  our  fallen  nature  in  the  form  of  evil  thoughts, 
desires,  purposes,  and  outward  acts. 

Q.  22.  What  evidence  is  there  that  such  an  evil 
bent  marks  our  race? 

A.  a.  History  bears  witness  to  the  melancholy 
charge ; 

b.  The  best  men  have  been  most  ready  to  ac- 

cuse themselves  of  a  propensity  to  sin, 
and  to  confess  that  for  any  holiness  in 
them  they  were  indebted  to  the  grace  of 
God.  Ps.  51:2-5;  Rom.  7:14-25;  Eph.  2: 
i-io;  Tit.  3:3; 

c.  Regeneration  is  declared  to  be  necessary  in 

order  even  to  see  aright  the  Kingdom  of 
God.     Jno.  3:3.  5; 

d.  The  depraved  tendencies  of  our  race  are  am- 

ply declared  in  Scripture.  Ps.  53  :3 ;  Jer. 
17:9;  Eph.  2:1-3;  I  Pet.  4:2,  3;  Rom.  8:7. 

TEXTS  TO   BE   COMMITTED   TO    MEMORY. 

Rom.  7:5;  8:7,  8;  1:28-30;  Jno.  3:19;  Ps.  53:3;  Jer. 
17:9;  Eph.  5:19-21. 


Note. 

The  reference  of  the   clause,   "which   is   commonly 
called  Original  Sin,"  may  be,  indeed  is,  a  matter  of  de- 

*See  Note  at  the  end  of  Question  XVIII. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  99 

bate.  Some  contend  that  the  relative,  "which,"  repre- 
sents all  the  items  specified  in  the  foregoing  part  of  the 
answer,  namely,  "guilt,"  "want  of  original  righteous- 
ness," and  "corruption,"  and  that  the  declaration  is  to 
the  effect  that  these  constitute  what  is  "commonly  called 
Original  Sin."  Others  understand  the  reference  to  be 
limited  to  the  clause  "corruption  of  his  whole  nature," 
and  that  the  tenor  of  the  statement  is  that  the  corruption 
of  our  nature  is  commonly  called  Original  Sin.  This  we 
take  to  be  the  correct  view.  In  its  favor  are  two  points, 
First:  The  verb  is  in  the  singular,  "is"  not  "are;"  the 
latter  of  these  would  properly  be  used  if  its  subject  em- 
braced three  items.  Second :  The  word  "commonly"  is 
introduced  to  indicate  that  in  ordinary  or  popular  usage 
the  corruption  of  our  nature  is  that  feature  of  our  fallen 
state  which  is  suggested  by  the  phrase  "Original  Sin," 
But  it  is  not  intimated  that  this  exhausts  the  import  of 
the  phrase.  Taken  in  its  fulness,  the  expression  "Orig- 
inal Sin"  comprehends  the  "guilt  of  Adam's  first  sin,  the 
want  of  original  righteousness,  and  the  corruption  of  our 
whole  nature." 


QUESTION  XIX. 


What  is  the  misery  of  that  estate  whereinto 
man  fell? 

ANSWER. 

All  mankind  by  their  fall  lost  communion 
with  God,  are  under  His  wrath  and  curse,  and 
so  made  liable  to  all  miseries  in  this  life,  to  death 
itself,  and  to  the  pains  of  hell  forever. 

Q.  I.     What  are  the  chief  elements  of  the  misery 
which  man  by  his  fall  incurred? 

A.     a.  Loss  of  fellowship  with  God,  his  Creator; 
h.  Subjection  to  God's  wrath  and  curse. 


100  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  2.  Did  a  sense  of  guilt  operate  in  Adam  and  Eve 
on  their  fall  to  produce  dread  and,  with  dread,  dislike  of 
God? 

A.  Yes,  and  consequently  they  tried  to  hide  from 
Him. 

Q.  3.  Did  God's  friendly  intercourse  with  the  souls 
of  these  offenders  cease? 

A.  Yes.  On  their  acceptance  of  the  Tempter's 
word  instead  of  His,  God  in  judgment  withdrew  from 
them,  while  still  continuing  to  sustain  them  in  being. 

Q.  4.  Was  this  withdrawal  an  unspeakable  loss  to 
them? 

A.  Yes.  Spiritual  death  now  took  hold  of  them, 
and,  in  them,  of  their  natural  offspring,     i  Cor.  15:22. 

Q.  5.  What  is  the  second  item  of  the  misery  into 
which  man  was  brought  by  the  fall? 

A.  The  wrath  and  curse  of  God.  Eph.  2 :3 ;  Gal.  3 : 
10;  Rom.  3  :i9. 

Q.  6.  Are  we  to  understand  by  "the  wrath"  of  God 
a  boisterous,  or  tempestuous,  passion? 

A.  No.  By  "the  wrath  and  curse  of  God"  we  are 
to  understand  a  calm  and  unchangeable  opposition  to  sin, 
and  purpose  to  punish  it. 

Q.  7.     Is  there  in  this  wrath  any  malignity? 

A.  No.  To  none  of  His  creatures,  considered  as 
His  creatures,  does  God  bear  ill-will.  Only  as  sinners  do 
they  incur  His  displeasure. 

Q.  8.  Could  not  God  have  preserved  His  creatures 
from  sinning,  and  so  from  incurring  His  displeasure? 

A.  We  must  hold  that  He  could.  The  Scriptures 
authorize,  and  even  require,  us  to  beseech  God  to  keep 
us  from  sin,  which  implies  power  on  His  part  to  do  so, 
even  in  the  case  of  those  already  fallen,  and,  of  course,  in 
the  case  of  the  unfallen. 

Q.  9.     Why  then  did  not  God  prevent  the  rise  of  sin? 

A.  We  cannot  tell;  yet  we  feel  confident  that  the 
existence  of  sin  in  the  universe  is  compatible  with  the 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  101 

holy  character  of  God,  and  will  in  some  way  be  made  to 
display  His  glory. 

Q.  10.  To  what  evils  is  man  exposed  as  the  result 
of  God's  wrath  and  curse? 

A.  Miseries  in  this  life,  dissolution  of  soul  and  body, 
and  endless  sufferings. 

Q.  II.  Mention  some  of  the  miseries  in  this  life 
which  flow  from  the  fall. 

A.  Hard  toil,  poverty,  sickness,  the  seething  of  evil 
lusts  and  passions,  the  gnawings  of  conscience,  and  evil 
forebodings. 

Q.  12.  Do  all  ungodly  men  experience  those  mis- 
eries? 

A.  They  are  all  liable  to  them;  but  God  may  allow 
to  some  of  our  fallen  race  comparative  exemption  from 
certain  forms  of  temporal  evil.  As  to  the  time  and  man- 
ner of  punishment  God  acts  as  a  sovereign.  Ps.  73  -.3-5 ; 
49:16,  17;  Eccl.  8:11;  Luke  16:25. 

Q.  13.  What  is  the  "death"  represented  in  the  an- 
swer as  a  part  of  the  penalty  of  sin? 

A.  Not  spiritual  death,  for  that  is  suggested  under 
"loss  of  communion  with  God;"  nor  eternal  death,  for 
that  is  indicated  in  the  following  clause,  but  physical 
death,  that  is,  the  judicial  sundering  of  soul  and  body. 

Q.  14.  Do  not  believers  in  Christ  undergo  the  sep- 
aration of  soul  and  body? 

A.  Yes ;  but  not  separation  as  a  penalty,  that  is,  ju- 
dicial separation.  To  the  believer  there  is  no  condemna- 
tion, and  therefore  no  penalty.  Rom.  8:1.  On  the  con- 
trary, death  is  gain  to  him.     Phil,  i  :2i. 

Q.  15.  Is  it  proper  to  say  that  physical  death  is  a 
consequence  of  sin,  but  a  penal  consequence  in  the  case 
only  of  the  impenitent  and  unpardoned  ? 

A.     Such  seems  to  be  a  proper  statement,    i  Cor.  15: 

55-57- 

Q.  16.  What  is  the  third  branch  of  the  misery  to 
which  man  became  liable  by  his  fall? 


102  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.  "The  pains  of  hell  for  ever,"  or  eternal  punish- 
ment. 

Q.  17.     What  is  meant  by  the  "pains  of  hell"? 

A.  The  sufferings  to  be  endured  after  death  by  all 
who  die  impenitent. 

Q.  18.  In  these  sufferings  shall  both  body  and  soul 
share? 

A.     There  is  good  reason  to  think  so. 

Q.  19.  Why  may  it  be  believed  that  the  body  shall 
be  affected? 

A.  a.  The  bodies  of  the  wicked  shall  be  raised,  and 
raised  for  a  purpose.  Dan.  12:2;  Jno.  5: 
29; 

b.  The   body   is   the   partner   of   the    soul,   and 

shares  in  much  of  the  sin  done  by  men  in 
this  life.  It  is  meet  that  it  share  also  in 
the  punishment  that  follows.    Jno.  5:29; 

c.  Indirectly  the  body  suffers  in  this  life  through 

its  connection  with  the  soul.  Why  not 
also  in  the  future  world? 

d.  Certain  representations  of  Scripture  favor  this 

view.    Is.  66:24;  Luke  16:24. 
Q.  20.     Even  if  it  could  be  proved  that  the  body  shall 
not  be  a  source,  or  seat,  of  suffering,  would  the  doctrine 
of  future  punishment  be  on  that  account  disproved? 

A.  No.  The  soul  is  the  real  and  ultimate  seat  of 
suffering. 

Q.  21.  What  shall  be  the  nature  of  the  suffering  of 
the  soul  in  the  future  state? 

A,     a.  There  shall  be  a  sense  of  the  loss  incurred ; 
h.  There  shall  be  remorse,  or  the  gnawing  of 
conscience,   which   even   in   this   life   can 
cause  unspeakable  anguish ; 

c.  Despair  shall  take  possession  of  the  soul ; 

d.  An  oppressive  sense  of  the  wrath  of  God  shall 

fill  the  soul.  This  formed  the  most  bitter 
ingredient  of  the  substitutionary  suffering 
of  Christ.  In  His  case  it  was,  however, 
intensified  by  His  love  to  His  Father; 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  103 

e.  It  is  not  improbable  that  the  lost,  both  human 
and  angelic,  will  become  mutual  torment- 
ors.   Rom.  1 :3i ;  Tit.  3  :3. 
Q.  22.     How  long  shall  these  sufferings  continue? 
A.     To  all  eternity. 

Q.  23.     What  grounds  are  there  for  this  belief? 
A.     These  have  already  been  suggested  under  ques- 
tion 12,  but  may  fitly  receive  further  notice  here: 

a.  Sin,  being  an  attempt  to  dethrone  and  even 

destroy  God,  Who  is  infinitely  excellent, 
is  an  infinite  evil,  and,  as  such,  deserves 
infinite  punishment.  But  no  mere  crea- 
ture can  in  a  limited  time  bear  an  infinite 
punishment.  Therefore  the  punishment 
of  the  sinner  must  be  endless; 

b.  The  wicked  will  after  death  continue  to  sin, 

and  this  sin  in  turn  calls  for  punishment, 
so  that  even  if  every  sin  did  not  entail  a 
perpetuity  of  punishment,  continuance  in 
sin  would  involve  continued  punishment; 

c.  The   only    one    competent   to    expiate    sin    is 

Christ.  Jno.  1:29;  Rom.  3:24;  2  Cor.  5: 
21;  Heb.  9:26;  10:12;  I  Pet.  3:18.  If  so, 
expiation  of  sin  by  the  offender  either  be- 
fore, or  after,  death  is  precluded; 

d.  According  to  the  Scriptures,  salvation  is  en- 

tirely of  grace.  See  Rom.  3:24;  5:20,  21; 
6:23;  Eph.  2:8.  If  so,  it  is  not  through 
expiation  on  the  part  of  the  sinner  either 
in  this  world  or  in  the  next ; 

e.  The  sufferings  of  the  wicked  in  this  world  do 

not  sanctify  them.  Is.  i  :5.  Why  should 
it  be  supposed  that  sufferings  after  death 
would  sanctify  them?  But  sanctification 
is  an  essential  element  of  salvation.  Heb. 
12:14; 


104  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

f.  The  tone  of  Scripture  is  to  the  effect  that  in 

this  life  alone  is  the  opportunity  of  salva- 
tion enjoyed.  Prov.  1:28;  14:32;  Is.  55: 
6;  Rev.  22:11 ; 

g.  The  fact  that  in   Scripture  no  command  or 

warrant  is  given  to  pray  for  the  dead  dis- 
countenances the  notion  that  after  death 
the  impenitent  shall  have  an  offer  of  sal- 
vation. The  Apostles  do  not  seem  to  have 
prayed  for  Judas  Iscariot  after  his  death; 

h.  All  the  proofs  derivable  from  Scripture  of  an 
eternal  election  to  salvation  and  of  a 
definite  atonement,  and  these  are  many, 
are  adverse  to  the  doctrine  of  Universal- 
ism ; 

i.  The  eternity  of  the  punishment  of  those  who 
die  in  their  sins  is  plainly  declared  in 
Scripture.  See  Dan.  12:2;  Matt.  18:8; 
25:41,  46;  Mark  9:43-48;  Luke  12:59;  2 
Thess.  I  -.g;  Rev.  20:10,  15;  Matt.  26:24. 

Q.  24.  Answer  the  objection  that  the  words  "eter- 
nal/' "everlasting,"  "forever,"  as  used  in  Scripture  do 
not  necessarily  denote  unending  duration. 

A.     a.  No  stronger  words  than  these  can  be  found 
to  signify  absolute  perpetuity; 

b.  These  words  are  to  be  understood  in  an  un- 

limited sense,  unless  there  is  something  to 
forbid  this,  either  in  the  nature  of  the 
case,  or  in  the  context,  or  in  some  other 
statement  of  Scripture; 

c.  It  is  significant  that  our  Lord  used  some  of 

these  strong  terms  in  reference  to  the 
continuance  of  future  punishment  when 
addressing  the  Jews,  who,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  Sadducees,  held  the  doc- 
trine of  eternal  punishment. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  105 

Q.  25.  What  general  answer  may  be  given  to  the 
objection  that  universal  salvation  is  taught  in  such  texts 
as  Acts  3:21 ;  Rom.  5:18;  Eph.  i  :io;  Col.  i  :20? 

A.  It  may  at  least  be  said  that  these  texts  may, 
without  doing  violence  to  them,  be  interpreted  in  entire 
harmony  with  the  doctrine  of  the  eternal  punishment  of 
those  who  die  impenitent. 

Q.  26.  Does  not  the  consideration  of  God's  good- 
ness forbid  acceptance  of  the  doctrine  of  endless  punish- 
ment? 

A.  a.  We  are  not  always  able  to  determine  what  is, 
and  what  is  not,  compatible  with  Divine 
benignity.  There  are  many  conditions  in 
this  world  difficult  to  account  for  in  con- 
sistency with  the  principle  that  the  Ruler 
of  the  world  is  infinitely  good ; 

b.  Even  for  governmental  purposes  eternal  pun- 

ishment may  be  of  signal  value,  although 
this  is  not  the  fundamental  reason  why 
God  punishes; 

c.  Justice  is  an  attribute  of  God  as  well  as  love. 

Vengeance  belongs  to  Him,  and  the 
claims  of  justice  must  be  honored.  Rom. 
12:19; 

d.  While  God  is  in  Himself  infinitely  benignant, 

the  actual  outflow  of  this  goodness  to- 
ward His  creatures  is  sovereign,  and  not 
a  matter  of  necessity.  Just  as  God,  al- 
though omnipotent,  does  not  do  every- 
thing He  could,  so,  while  boundless  in 
goodness,  He  is  sovereign  as  to  the  exer- 
cise of  it; 

e.  The  restoration  of  Satan  and  the  other  evil 

angels  might,  equally  with  the  salvation 
of  all  men,  be  inferred  from  the  goodness 
of  God;  yet  in  all  the  Bible  there  is  not 
found  one  hopeful  word  in  regard  to  their 
restoration. 


106  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  27.  Are  there  not  some  who  contend  that  the 
finally  impenitent  shall  be  annihilated,  or  shall  cease  to 
exist  as  conscious  beings? 

A.  Yes.  The  doctrine  of  "Destruction,"  or  "Condi- 
tional Immortality,"  is  advocated  by  many. 

Q.  28.  What  are  the  main  considerations  urged  in 
favor  of  this  view? 

A.  a.  The  fact  that  in  Scripture  the  doom  of  the 
wicked  is  described  as  "a  destruction," 
"perdition,"  or  a  "ceasing  to  be."  Job 
21:30;  Ps.  37:38;  52:5;  103:4;  Is.  1:28; 
Matt.  10:28;  Matt.  7:13;  Jno.  3:15,  16;  i 
Cor.  I  :i8;  2  Thess.  i  :g. 
b.  The  relief  which  this  view  gives  in  respect 
to  the  claims  both  of  justice  and  good- 
ness. Justice,  it  is  said,  is  satisfied  by  the 
destruction  of  the  transgressor;  while 
goodness  is  not  outraged  by  his  suffering 
perpetually. 

Q.  29.     Present  some  objections  to  this  view. 

A.  a.  The  terms  "death,"  "destruction,"  "perish- 
ing," and  their  equivalents,  used  in  Scrip- 
ture, do  not  necessarily  mean  extinction 
either  of  being  or  of  consciousness.  One 
who  may  be  very  inactive  or  dead  in  one 
respect  may  in  another  be  very  active 
and  much  alive.  Hos.  13:9;  Eph.  2:1;  i 
Tim.  5  :6. 
b.  The  eternal  life  of  the  righteous  is  not  merely 
an  eternal  consciousness,  but  a  blissful 
consciousness  perpetuated.  So,  the  con- 
trasted eternal  death  of  the  wicked  does 
not  mean  an  eternal  unconsciousness,  but 
an  endless,  wretched  consciousness.  In 
other  words,  the  contrast  lies  not  in  the 
duration,  but  in  the  character,  of  the  con- 
scious existence; 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  107 

c.  In  the  punishment  of  the  wicked  there  are  de- 

grees proportioned  to  the  degrees  of  sin. 
Matt.  10:15;  11:22,  24;  Luke  12:47,  48- 
But  if  annihilation  is  the  punishment, 
there  can  be  no  degrees ;  it  is  the  same  in 
all; 

d.  The  punishment  of  the  wicked  shall  be  ever- 

lasting, as  much  so  as  shall  be  the  bless- 
edness of  the  righteous.  Matt.  25  -.4,6. 
But  extinction  must  terminate  punish- 
ment. How  could  one  who  ceases  to  ex- 
ist be  undergoing  ptJnishment?  Punish- 
ment must  end  with  his  existence. 

Q.  30.     What  lessons  are  most  impressively  taught 
by  the  answer  now  surveyed? 

A.     a.  The  awful  nature  of  sin. 

h.  The    wisdom    of    seeking    escape    from    "the 
wrath  to  come." 

TEXTS  TO   BE   COMMITTED   TO    MEMORY. 

Prov.  14:32;  2  Thess.  1:9;  Rom.  12:19;  i  Cor.  1:18; 
Matt.  25  :46. 


THE  WAY  OF  RECOVERY. 

QUESTION  XX. 

Did  God  leave  all  mankind  to  perish  in  the 
estate  of  sin  and  misery? 

ANSWER. 

God,  having  out  of  His  mere  good  pleasure 
from  all  eternity  elected  some  to  everlasting  life, 
did  enter  into  a  covenant  of  grace  to  deliver 
them  out  of  the  estate  of  sin  and  misery  and  to 
bring  them  into  an  estate  of  salvation  by  a  Re- 
deemer. 


108  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  I.  What  are  the  principal  matters  presented 
in  this  answer? 

A.  a.  The  election  of  some  members  of  our  fallen 
race  to  life  everlasting; 
b.  The  method  adopted  by  God  for  carrying  this 
election  into  effect.  In  brief,  election  and 
the  covenant  of  grace  are  the  topics  in- 
troduced here  to  notice. 

Q.  2.     What  does  the  word  "election"  mean? 

A.     Selection,  or  choosing  out. 

Q.  3.  In  what  light  were  men  viewed  in  the  act 
of  election? 

A.  As  fallen  and  justly  exposed  to  punishment. 
They  were  chosen  to  salvation,  and  were  regarded  as  in 
a  state  of  sin  and  condemnation.  Jno.  3:16;  2  Thess.  2: 
13;  I  Jno.  4:10. 

Q.  4.  Could  God  in  justice  have  left  our  race  to 
perish? 

A.  Yes.  Our  salvation  is  ascribed  to  the  grace  of 
God  as  its  source,  that  is.  His  free,  unmerited,  sovereign 
favor.  Rom.  6:23;  3:24;  5:8;  Eph.  1:4-6;  2:4-10;  2  Tim. 
1:9. 

Q.  5.  Was  there,  then,  no  reason  why  God  chose 
one  man  rather  than  another? 

A.  All  of  God's  acts  are  most  reasonable  and  wise ; 
but  merit  on  the  part  of  one  man  rather  than  of  another 
is  not  the  reason  for  the  selection  God  makes.  Deut.  9: 
6;  Rom.  9:11,  12;  Eph.  i  -.4.  Faith  and  obedience  are  the 
product,  not  the  ground,  of  the  election  of  any  to  salva- 
tion.   Eph.  2:8. 

Q.  6.  Is  there  ground  for  saying  that  the  elect  are 
few  in  number? 

A.     No.    See  Matt.  8:11;  Heb.  2:10;  Rev.  7:9. 

Q.  7.     To  what  did  God  elect  members  of  our  race? 

A.  To  everlasting  life,  or  a  full  salvation.  2  Thess. 
2:13;  Rom.  8:29,  30. 

Q.  8.  Does  this  include  all  the  preparatory  steps,  as 
well  as  the  final  issue? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  109 

A.     Yes.    Rom.  8:29,  30;  2  Thess.  2:13;  Eph.  1:4. 

Q.  9.  If  God  chose  only  some  members  of  our 
race,  and  not  all,  is  He  not  chargeable  with  partiality? 

A.     No;  but  He  shows  His  sovereignty, 

Q.  10.  Does  not  this  charge  of  partiality  proceed 
on  the  assumption  that  men  have  some  claim  upon  Di- 
vine clemency,  or  right  to  salvation? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  II.  But  is  it  true  that  men  have  a  right  to  salva- 
tion? 

A.  No;  otherwise  our  salvation  would  not  be,  as  it 
is  declared  to  be,  of  grace.  What  is  due  to  fallen  men  is 
death  (Rom.  6:22^).  Salvation  is  a  gift  to  which  they 
are  not  for  any  merit  in  them  entitled. 

•     Q.  12.    In  leaving  one  non-elect  does  God  do  him  a 
wrong? 

A.  No ;  for  no  man  has  in  his  fallen  state  a  right  to 
be  saved. 

Q.  13.  Might  God  in  perfect  justice  have  left  all 
men  to  perish  in  their  sins,  even  as  He  left  the  fallen 
angels? 

A.  Yes.  If  He  could  not,  the  salvation  of  men  Is  a 
matter  of  right  to  them,  and  not  a  sovereign  boon.  But 
this  is  unscriptural  and  anti-scriptural. 

Q.  14.  Does  not  the  statement  in  Acts  10:34,  "God 
is  no  respecter  of  persons,"  contradict  the  doctrine  of 
election? 

A.  No.  The  meaning  of  that  statement  is  that  a 
good  man,  whatever  his  nationality,  is  approved  by  God. 

Q.  15.  On  the  other  hand,  is  it  not  true  that  God 
has  made  distinctions  among  men? 

A.  Yes.  Some  are  born  poor,  others  rich;  some 
amidst  gospel  light,  others  in  Pagan  darkness;  some 
with  high  mental  endowments,  others  with  a  scanty  out- 
fit of  natural  gifts. 

Q.  16.  Is  there  not  thus  within  the  natural  sphere 
a  marked  parallel  to  that  which  occurs  in  the  spiritual 
sphere  ? 


110  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.     Yes.    There  is  an  election  in  both. 

Q.  17.  Does  not  the  doctrine  of  election,  as  now  ex- 
plained, tend  to  discourage  and  paralyze  those  who  ac- 
cept it? 

A.     a.  Like  other  wholesome   doctrines  it  may  be 
perverted ; 

b.  The  assurance  that  of  our  guilty  race  God 

will    save   some,    nay,   a   vast   multitude, 
should  cheer,  not  discourage; 

c.  In  His  Word  God  makes  to  men  as  sinners, 

not  as  elect,  a  full  offer  of  salvation  by 
Jesus  Christ; 

d.  To  decline  this  offer  on  the  ground  that  we 

do  not  know  whether  or  not  we  are  elect- 
ed is  insufferable  arrogance,  as  well  as 
supreme  folly.  It  is  to  say,  "God  indeed 
offers  me  Christ  as  a  Saviour;  but  I  will 
not  accept  the  offer  till  I  know  whether 
or  not  I  am  among  the  elect." 
Q.  18.  Has  any  one  ever  been  lost  who  truly  de- 
sired to  be  saved? 

A.  No ;  many  indeed  have  been  lost  who  desired  to 
be  saved  from  punishment,  but  never  one  who  truly  de- 
sired to  be  saved  from  sin,  as  well  as  punishment. 

Q.  19.  What  measure  did  God  adopt  for  carrying 
into  effect  His  electing  decree? 

A.  He  entered  into  a  covenant  with  a  view  to  the 
deliverance  and  full  salvation  of  all  the  elect.  In  affirm- 
ing that  the  Scriptures  afford  ground  for  saying  this,  we 
must  guard  against  gross  conceptions  of  God's  action. 
We  are,  for  instance,  not  to  think  of  God  as  first  forming 
a  purpose  to  save ;  then  determining  the  number  and  in- 
dividuals to  be  saved ;  and  afterwards  planning  how  to 
carry  into  effect  the  projected  salvation.  Finite  minds 
must  act  thus  gradually.    Not  so  the  Divine  mind. 

Q.  20.  What  indications  are  there  that  in  the  ever- 
lasting counsel  of  the  Three-One  God  an  arrangement 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  111 

having  the  features  of  a  covenant  was  made  for  the  sal- 
vation of  the  elect? 

A.  a.  Certain  persons  of  our  race  are  said  to  have 
been  given  by  the  Father  to  the  Son  to  be 
saved.     Jno.  6:37;   10:29;   17:2,  6,  9,  12, 

24; 
h.  The  appointment  of  the  Son  to  redeem  those 
thus  given  is  clearly  declared.    Jno.  3  :i6, 
17;  4:34;  6:29;  Gal.  4:4,  5; 

c.  The  Son  freely  accepted  the  appointment,  and 

undertook  the  work  of  redemption.  Jno. 
5:30.  36,  37;  6:38;  8:28,  29,  42;  9:4.  Phil. 
2:17; 

d.  Promises  were  made  to  the  Son  conditioned 

on  His  acceptance  and  accomplishment  of 
the  work  assigned  to  Him.  Ps.  2:7,  8; 
22:29-31;  72:8-11;  Is.  53:10;  Acts  2:33; 

e.  The  Son  asks  the  fulfilment  of  these  promises. 

Jno.  17:4,  5;  Heb.  10:12,  13;  12:2; 
/.  The  parallel  drawn  between  Adam  and  Christ 
in  Rom.  5:14-19  and  i  Cor.  15:22,  45-47 
is  most  easily  accounted  for  on  the  as- 
sumption that  each  stood  as  a  covenant 
head; 
g.  In  several  passages  express  mention  is  made 
of   a   covenant   through   which    salvation 
comes  to  men.    Ps.  89 :3,  4,  28,  34-37;  Heb. 
10:29;  13:20. 
Q.  21.     Who  were  the  contracting  parties    in    this 
covenant? 

A.  God,  the  Father,  on  behalf  of  the  Trinity,  and 
God,  the  Son,  as  representing  head  of  the  elect  of  our 
race. 

Q.  22.  Was  the  Holy  Spirit  not  a  party  to  this  cove- 
nant? 

A.     Yes;  He  in  full  sovereignty  concurred. 
Q.  23.     Why  say  that  He  "concurred"? 


112  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.  Because  He  performs  an  important  part  in  the 
salvation  of  men,  and,  being  co-equal  with  the  Father  and 
the  Son,  must  have  freely  consented  to  the  covenant  ar- 
rangement. 

Q.  24.     What  was  the  condition  of  this  covenant? 

A.  In  its  wider  sense  this  included  the  assumption 
of  our  nature  by  the  Son  of  God  and  the  rendering  of 
obedience  even  unto  death  in  the  room  of  the  elect.  In 
its  narrower  and  stricter  sense,  the  condition  was  His 
obedience  and  death  as  the  substitute  and  surety  of  those 
given  to  Him  to  be  redeemed.    Rom.  5:19;  Phil.  2:6-8. 

Q.  25.     What  was  the  promise  of  this  covenant? 

A.  In  its  more  restricted  sense  the  promise  was 
that  full  salvation  should  be  secured  for  the  elect.  In 
its  wider  sense  it  guaranteed  in  addition  a  great  revenue 
of  honor  to  the  Redeemer  Himself.  Phil.  2:6-11;  Heb. 
12:2;  Is.  53:10,  II. 

Q.  26.  Was  there  any  penalty  attached  to  this  cove- 
nant? 

A,  No;  for  He  who  undertook  to  perform  the  con- 
dition could  not  fail.  He  did  indeed  bear  a  penalty;  but 
that  was  a  weighty  part  of  the  condition  to  be  fulfilled, 
a  penalty  due  to  our  breach  of  covenant,  not  to  failure 
on  His  part.    Ps.  69:4. 

Q.  27.     How  is  this  covenant  commonly  designated? 

A.     It  is  ordinarily  styled  "the  covenant  of  grace." 

Q.  28.  What  fitness  is  there  in  assigning  to  it  this 
title? 

A.  Because  it  is  a  fruit  of  God's  unmerited  favor 
to  sinners  of  our  race. 

Q.  29.  Was  not  "the  covenant  of  works"  also  a 
covenant  of  grace? 

A.  It  was ;  for  it  expressed  great  condescension  on 
the  part  of  God  toward  our  race. 

Q.  30.  Why  then  is  the  covenant  made  in  eternity 
with  a  view  to  our  salvation  called  "the  covenant  of 
grace"? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  113 

A.  Because  of  the  evidence  it  bears  of  the  tran- 
scendent goodness  of  God  toward  us.  It  is  the  covenant 
of  grace,  not  by  way  of  exclusion,  but  by  way  of  pre- 
eminence. 

Q.  31.  What  was  the  special  purpose  of  this  cove- 
nant? 

A.  To  deliver  a  great  multitude  of  human  beings 
from  a  state  of  ruin,  and  establish  them  in  a  state  of  sal- 
vation. 

Q.  32.     How  was  this  change  to  be  effected? 
A.     By  a  Redeemer. 

Q.  33.  Why  could  not  God  by  a  word  of  power 
have  effected  this  result? 

A.  Because  He  is  just  as  well  as  good,  and  must, 
even  in  delivering  sinners,  exact  punishment  for  their 
sins,  and  commend  His  law  to  their  reverence  and  obe- 
dience. 

Q.  34.  What  feature  of  men's  state  is  suggested  by 
the  fact  that  their  Saviour  is  called  "a  Redeemer"? 

A.  That  they  were  captives,  needing  both  to  be 
ransomed  and  rescued. 

Q.  35.     In  what  respects  are  fallen  men  captives? 
A.     a.  They  are  in  the  bondage  of  sin.     Jno.  8:34; 
Rom.  6:16-19; 
h.  They  are  thralls  of  Satan.     Eph.  2:1-3;  Heb. 

2:14,  15;  I  Jno.  3:8; 

c.  Above  all,  they  are  in  the  grasp  of  justice,  the 

justice  of  the  omnipotent  God.    They  are 

for  these  reasons  in  need  of  a  Redeemer, 

and  of  one  mighty  to  deliver. 

•Q.  36.     What  feelings  should  be  excited  in  us  by  a 

contemplation  of  this  needed  and  provided  redemption? 

A.     Profound  feelings  of  shame,  of  dependence,  and 

of  gratitude.    Ps.  51:2-5;  103:1-4;  130:3,  4;  2  Cor.  9:15. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED   TO   MEMORY. 

Eph.  2:4-7;  Rom.  3:25,  26;  5:8;  8:29-32;  2  Thess.  2: 
13 ;  2  Tim.  i  :9,  10. 


114  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

QUESTION  XXI. 
Who  is  the  Redeemer  of  God's  elect? 

ANSWER. 

The  only  Redeemer  of  God's  elect  is  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  Who,  being  the  eternal  Son 
of  God,  became  man,  and  so  was  and  continueth 
to  be  God  and  man,  in  two  distinct  natures  and 
one  person,  for  ever. 

Q.  I.  What  is  the  literal  meaning  of  the  word 
"Christ"? 

A.     Like  the  word  "Messiah,"  it  means  "anointed." 

Q.  2.     To  what  custom  does  the  word  point? 

A.  That  of  formally  setting  men  apart  to  certain 
dignified  offices  by  the  process  of  anointing  with  oil. 

Q.  3.     What  offices  were  thus  signalized? 

A.  Those  of  prophet,  priest,  and  king,  i  Kings  19: 
16;  Ex.  28:41;  Numb.  3:3;  I  Sam'l.  10:1;  2  Sam'l.  2:4; 
5:3;  Is.  61:1. 

Q.  4.  With  what  was  Christ  anointed  as  the  Re- 
deemer? 

A.  With  the  gifts  and  graces  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
Is.  61:1;  Jno.  3:34;  Acts  10:38. 

Q.  5.     What  is  the  import  of  the  word  "Jesus"? 

A.  It  is  a  compressed  form  of  the  word  "Joshua," 
or,  more  fully,  "Jehoshuah,"  which  means  "Jehovah 
helps." 

Q.  6.  Was  this  name  given  to  the  Redeemer  by  Di- 
vine direction? 

A.     Yes.    See  Matt,  i  :2i. 

Q.  7.  What  does  the  word  "Lord,"  as  a  part  of  the 
Redeemer's  name,  indicate? 

A.  His  majesty.  In  the  Greek  translation  of  the 
Old  Testament  the  word  "Kurios,"  which  means  "Lord," 
is  used  as  the  equivalent  of  the  Hebrew  form  of  the 
name  "Jehovah."  Applied  to  the  Redeemer,  this  name  is 
an  assertion  of  His  supreme  deity. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  115 

Q.  8.  What  is  the  relation  of  the  Redeemer  to  the 
First  person  of  the  Godhead? 

A.  He  is  the  Son  of  the  First  person  of  the  Trinity. 
Jno.  3:16. 

Q.  9.     Is  he  the  Son  of  the  Godhead? 

A.  No.  In  that  case  He  would  be  the  Son  of  Him- 
self. 

Q.  10.     Is  Christ  the  Son  of  the  Holy  Spirit? 

A.  No.  He  is  related  as  Son  only  to  that  person  of 
the  Godhead  who  is  distinctively  called  the  Father. 
Matt.  28:19;  Acts  2:33. 

Q.  II.  Was  not  the  human  nature  of  Christ  a  pro- 
duct of  the  Spirit's  energy? 

A.     Yes.     Luke  1 135. 

Q.  12.  Yet  was  the  Spirit  the  father  of  that  human 
nature  ? 

A.  No.  His  relation  to  it  was  that  of  creator,  or 
former,  not  of  father. 

Q.  13.  Do  the  Scriptures  ever  speak  of  two  fathers 
of  Christ? 

A.  No.  He  Himself  often  speaks  (as  recorded)  of 
His  Father,  never  of  His  fathers ;  and  the  father  whom 
He  recognizes  is  Divine.  Jno.  5:17-27,  37;  8:54;  10:29, 
36;  17:5. 

Q.  14.  Yet  is  not  mention  made  in  Scripture  of  His 
parents? 

A.  Yes.  See  Luke  2:27,  41,  43.  Mary  also  spoke 
of  her  husband,  Joseph,  as  His  father.  Luke  2 :48.  But 
in  these  instances  regard  is  had  to  appearances,  inasmuch 
as  Jesus  seemed,  and  was  commonly  supposed,  to  be  a 
son  of  Joseph.     Luke  3:23;  4:22. 

Q.  15.  Does  not  Christ  often  speak  of  Himself  as 
"the  Son  of  Man"? 

A.  Yes;  but  never  as  the  son  of  any  particular 
man.  The  phrase  "Son  of  Man"  seems  intended  to  de- 
clare that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  was  really  human,  and  not 
only  this,  but  also  that  He  was,  in  some  sense,  a  descend- 


116  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

ant  of  the  first  human  pair,  and  so  the  kinsman  of  those 
whom  He  came  to  redeem. 

Q.  1 6.  Is  Christ's  filial  relation  to  the  First  person 
of  the  Trinity  eternal  and  necessary? 

A.     Such  is  the  belief  of  the  Trinitarians  in  general. 
Q.  17.     Do  any  who  hold  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity 
deny  this? 

A.     Some,  not  many,  of  them  do  so. 
Q.  18.     What  views  have  been  put  forward  as  to  the 
grounds  of  this  title  by  Trinitarians? 

A.  a.  Some  say  that  this  title  is  founded  on  the  in- 
carnation of  the  Second  person  of  the 
Trinity,  Luke  i  :35  being  adduced  as  the 
chief  evidence  for  the  view ; 

b.  Others  hold  that  this  title  is  given  to  Christ 

because  of  His  resurrection  from  the 
dead.  Acts  13 :33  and  Rom.  1 14  being  re- 
lied on  as  proof; 

c.  Still  another  view  is  that  the  title  in  question 

belongs  to  Christ  in  virtue  merely  of  His 
mediatorial  ofifice,  appeal  being  made  in 
proof  to  Matt.  16:16  and  Heb.  5:5; 

d.  The  view  generally  and,  we  believe,  justly 

held  by  the  orthodox  is  that  Christ  is  the 
Son  of  God  by  "natural,  necessary,  and 
eternal  generation." 
Q.  19.     What  do  these  three  qualifying  words  sig- 
nify? 

A.  "Natural"  is  meant  to  declare  that  Christ  is  the 
Son  of  God  not  by  adoption  or  by  a  figure  of  speech,  but 
by  a  real,  original  relation.  "Necessary"  indicates  that 
this  relation  is  not  the  product  of  a  decree,  but  is  as 
original  and  radical  as  the  very  being  of  God.  "Eternal" 
is  used  to  affirm  that  this  relation  antedates  time,  as  God 
Himself  does. 

Q.  20.  Present  proof  of  the  doctrine  of  the  eternal 
Sonship  of  Christ. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  117 

A.  a.  If  the  title  "Son  of  Man,"  applied  to  Christ, 
declares  Him  to  be  truly  man,  the  title 
"Son  of  God,"  given  to  Him,  implies  that 
He  is  God; 

b.  By  His  resurrection   Christ  was  not  consti- 

tuted, but  only  declared  to  be,  the  Son  of 
God.    Rom.  1 :4; 

c.  Christ  is  represented  to  be  the  "Son  of  God" 

in  a  unique  sense.  See  Jno.  i  :i4,  i8 ;  3  :i6 ; 
5:18;  Rom.  8:3,  32;  I  Jno.  4:9.  But  what 
would  there  be  unique  in  His  Sonship  if  it 
was  founded  on  His  incarnation,  or  mis- 
sion, or  adoption,  or  resurrection?  Might 
not  Adam,  and  the  Apostles,  and  all  be- 
lievers, and  Lazarus  of  Bethany  be  distin- 
guished on  like  grounds? 

d.  The  Son,  as  such,  existed  before  His  incarna- 

tion, and  even  before  the  creation  of  the 
world.  Jno.  3:16,  17;  Gal.  4:4,  5;  Heb.  i : 
2 ;  I  Jno.  3  :8. 

e.  If  Christ  is  not  the  Son  of  God  eternally,  the 

Father  is  not  the  Father  eternally ;  and,  if 
so,  wherein  lies  the  distinction  of  per- 
sons? 

f.  The  texts  chiefly  relied  on  to  disprove  the  doc- 

trine of  the  eternal  Sonship  of  Christ  may 
be  fairly  interpreted  in  harmony  with  it. 
For  instance,  the  utterance  of  the  angel, 
as  recorded  in  Luke  1 135,  may  mean  that 
the  human  nature  of  Christ  should  be  so 
intimately  related  to  the  Second  person  of 
the  Trinity  as  to  receive  the  appellation 
"Son  of  God." 
Q.  21.  What  is  meant  by  the  statement  that  the 
"Son  of  God  became  man"? 

A.  Not  the  change  of  the  Divine  into  a  human  na- 
ture; but  the  assumption  of  a  human  nature  by  the  Son 
of  God  into  personal  union  with  Himself. 


118  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  22.  Why  is  the  notion  of  the  change  of  the  Di- 
vine nature  into  a  human  nature  inadmissible? 

A.  Because,  as  has  already  been  seen,  God  is  immu- 
table. To  cease  to  be  God  would  be  an  infinite  change. 
Self-annihilation  is  no  prerogative  of  the  living  God.  Be- 
sides, after  assuming  our  nature,  Christ  claimed  to  be 
God. 

Q.  23.  Was  the  human  nature  of  Christ  produced 
by  Him? 

A.  Not  directly.  In  concurrence  with  the  Father, 
He  commissioned  the  Holy  Spirit  to  prepare  the  nature 
to  be  assumed;  but  the  assumption  was  the  direct  act  of 
the  Son.    Phil.  2:6,  7;  Heb.  2:14;  Ps.  40:7,  8. 

Q.  24.  After  this  assumption  how  many  were  the 
natures  of  Christ? 

A.     Two,  that  of  God  and  that  of  man. 

Q.  25.  Was  there  any  compounding,  or  blending,  of 
these  natures? 

A.  They  were,  and  are,  distinct.  It  is  impossible 
that  the  Divine  should  be  changed  into  the  human,  or  the 
human  changed  into  the  Divine. 

Q,  26.  How  may  this  close  union  without  transmu- 
tation be  partially  illustrated? 

A.  A  human  person  consists  of  a  body  and  a  soul, 
a  material  and  an  immaterial  substance,  mysteriously 
combined  and  co-operative;  yet  each  retaining  its  own 
properties. 

Q.  27.  Do  these  two  natures  of  Christ  constitute 
two  persons? 

A.     No. 

Q.  28.  What  is  this  doctrine  of  the  duality  of  the 
natures  of  Christ  and  the  unity  of  His  person  called  in 
systematic  theology? 

A.     It  is  called  the  doctrine  of  "Hypostatic  Union." 

Q.  29.  How  may  the  practical  importance  of  this 
doctrine  be  shown? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  119 

A.  If  He  Who  died  on  the  cross  was  not  God,  we 
have  only  a  human  Saviour. 

Q.  30.  Offer  some  proof  of  this  doctrine  of  the  union 
of  two  natures  in  one  person. 

A.  a.  Christ  never  speaks  of  Himself  and  the  Son  of 
God.  He  never  says,  "I  and  the  Son  of 
God,"  or  "I  and  the  Son  of  Man,"  although 
He.uses  the  expression  "I  and  the  Father," 
and  distinguishes  Himself  from  the 
Spirit.  Jno.  5:17,  37;  10:29,  30;  14:26; 
15:26;  16:7,  13,  14; 
h.  Diversity  of  nature,  yet  unity  of  person,  are 
clearly  suggested  in  many  texts.  See  Jno. 
16 :28 ;  Rom.  i  :3,  4 ;  9 :5  ;  Phil.  2  :S-i  i ;  Heb. 
2:14,  15. 
c.  The  two  natures  of  Christ  are  presented  as 
at  once  contrasted  and  combined.  Rom. 
1:3,  4;  9:5;  Phil.  2:6-9.  This  fact  mili- 
tates at  once  against  the  monophysite  doc- 
trine held  by  Copts  and  Armenians,  which 
is  that  the  two  natures  were  blended,  and 
against  Nestorians,  whose  doctrine  may 
be  called  the  "bipersonal"  view  of  Christ. 
Q.  31.  Are  the  acts  and  qualities  of  the  one  nature 
of  Christ  attributed  to  the  other  nature? 

A.  No;  but  they  are  attributed  to  the  one  person  of 
Christ,  just  as  in  the  case  of  men  we  speak  of  them  as 
being  tall,  or  short,  when  we  refer  only  to  their  bodily 
stature,  or  as  intelligent,  when  we  refer  only  to  their 
minds ;  the  properties  of  either  constituent  of  our  nature 
being  ascribed  to  the  entire  person. 

Q.  32.     Will  the  Son  of  God  retain  His  human  na- 
ture for  ever? 
A.     Yes. 

Q.  33.     What  grounds  are  there  for  so  thinking? 
A.     a.  There  is  no  reason  to  think  that  any  of  the 
ordinary  members  of  our  race  shall  be- 
come extinct.    Why  should  the  human  na- 
ture of  Christ  become  so? 


120  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

b.  The  exaltation  of  the  human  nature  of  Christ 

would  have  an  inglorious  termination, 
should  His  humanity  come  to  an  end. 

c.  The  possession  of  a  human  nature  is  essential 

to  the  priesthood  of  Christ,  and  His  priest- 
hood shall  never  cease.  Heb.  7 124,  25 ; 
Rev.  7:17;  I  :i8;  21 :23. 

Q.  34.     Of  whom  is  Christ  the  Redeemer? 

A.  a.  Not  of  angels.  The  holy  angels  do  not  need 
redemption,  and  for  the  wicked  angels  no 
redemption  is  provided.  Heb.  2:14,  16; 
2  Pet.  2 14. 

b.  Not  of  all  men ;  for  many  of  them  shall  perish. 

c.  Only  of  those  human  beings  chosen  in   the 

sovereign   pleasure  of  God  to  be  saved. 
Eph.  1:3-7;  Jno.  10:11;  17:2;  Matt.  1:21. 
Q.  35.     Is  there  any  creature  who  shares  with  Christ 
the  honor  of  redeeming  sinners? 

A.     No.  Jno.  14:6;  I  Tim.  2:5;  Heb.  1:3;  2:14,  15; 
Rev.  1 :5. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO   MEMORY. 

Matt.  1 :2i ;  Jno.  10:11;  17 :2 ;  Rom.  i  :3,  4 ;  9 :5 ;  Phil. 
2:5-11;  Heb.  2:14,  15;  7:24,  25. 


QUESTION  XXII. 


How  did  Christ,  being  the  Son  of  God,  be- 
come man? 

ANSWER. 

Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  became  man  by  tak- 
ing to  Himself  a  true  body  and  a  reasonable  soul, 
being  conceived  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
in  the  womb  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  and  born  of 
her,  yet  without  sin. 

Q.  I.     How  does  this  question  of  the  Catechism  dif- 
fer from  the  one  immediately  previous? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  121 

A.  That  has  regard  to  the  fact,  this  to  the  inanner, 
of  the  incarnation. 

Q.  2.  What  are  the  two  constituents  of  human  na- 
ture? 

A.  A  body  and  a  soul ;  the  former,  material,  the  lat- 
ter, immaterial. 

Q.  3.     Why  is  it  said  that  Christ  took  "a  true  body"? 

A.  To  affirm  the  reality  of  His  body,  and  so  to  repu- 
diate the  notion,  which  had  some  currency  probably  even 
in  apostolic  times,  that  Christ  took  only  the  semblance  of 
a  human  body. 

Q.  4.  What  speculation  lay  at  the  root  of  this  false 
tenet  ? 

A.  The  opinion  that  matter  is  evil  and  productive 
of  evil. 

Q.  5.  Present  proof  that  Christ  took  a  real  human 
body. 

A.  a.  Every  text  which  declares  that  Christ  .was  a 
man  affords  proof;  for  a  material  body  is 
an  essential  part  of  our  nature.  Jno.  8: 
40;  Phil.  2:8;  I  Tim.  2:5; 

b.  Texts  prove  this  which  declare  that  He  took, 

or  became,  flesh.  See  Jno.  1:14;  Rom.  i; 
3;  9:5;  I  Tim.  3:16; 

c.  Texts   which  state  that  He  was  born  of  a 

woman  form  proof.  See  Matt.  1 125 ;  Gal. 
4:4;  Luke  2:7; 

d.  Texts  which  describe  Him  as  characterized  by 

such  bodily  affections  or  susceptibilities  as 
hunger,  thirst,  weariness,  sleep,  contribute 
proof.     See   Matt.  4:2;  Mark  4:38;  Jno. 

4:6,7; 

e.  Texts  which  tell  that  He  was  crucified,  buried, 

and  raised,  point  in  the   same  direction. 

Jno.  19:18,  34,  40;  20:27;  I  Cor.  15:4. 
Q.  6.     What  is  intended  by  the  expression,  "a  rea- 
sonable soul"? 

A.     A  rational  soul,  such  as  belongs  to  human  beings. 


122  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  7.     Has  any  other  view  ever  been  propounded? 

A.  Yes.  The  Arians  of  ancient  times  taught  that 
the  Logos,  or  pre-existent  Son  of  God,  performed  in 
Jesus  of  Nazareth  the  part  of  a  soul. 

Q.  8.     To  this  view  what  general  objection  is  there? 
A.     This  would  involve  a  denial  of  the  fact  of  the  real 
humanity  of  Christ.    If  He  did  not  possess  a  human  soul, 
He  could  not  properly  be  called  "man," 

Q.  9.  Prove  that  the  Son  of  God  assumed  a  human 
soul. 

A.     a.  Texts  already  adduced  to  prove  that  He  be- 
came man  avail  for  this  purpose ; 
b.  Mention  is   expressly  made  of  His  soul,  or 
spirit.     See  Matt.  26:38;  Jno.   11:33;  12: 
27;  19:30. 
Q.  10.     How  was  the  human  nature  of  Christ  pro- 
duced ? 

A,  a.  Not  by  natural  generation,  for  He  had  no 
human  father  (Matt,  i  :i8-2o)  ;  and  his 
mother,  even  when  she  gave  birth  to  Him, 
was  a  virgin.     Luke  i  •.34,  35 ;  Matt,  i  :25 ; 

b.  The  production  of  this  nature  is  attributed  to 

the  Holy  Spirit.     Matt.  1:18,  20;  Luke  i: 
35;Heb.  10:5; 

c.  Yet  although  miraculous  agency  was  at  work, 

the  conception  and  birth,  so  far  as  the  ma- 
ternal sphere  was  concerned,  were  natural 
and  normal. 
Q.  II.     Was  Christ  born  free  from  the  taint  of  sin? 
A.     Yes.     Luke  1:35;  2  Cor.  5:21;  Heb.  4:15;  7:26. 
How  He   could  be  has  already  been   considered  under 
Question  XVL  of  the  Catechism. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO   MEMORY. 

Luke  1:35;  Jno.  1:14;  i  Tim.  2:5;  3:16;  Jno.  12:27; 
19:30;  Heb.  10:5. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  123 

QUESTION  XXIII. 

What  offices  doth  Christ  execute  as  our  Re- 
deemer? 

ANSWER. 

Christ  as  our  Redeemer  executeth  the  offices 
of  a  prophet,  of  a  priest,  and  of  a  king,  both  in 
His  estate  of  humiliation  and  exaltation. 

Q.  I.  What  title  of  Christ  expresses,  perhaps,  most 
comprehensively  and  explicitly  His  work  in  saving  men? 

A.     Mediator.    See  i  Tim.  2:5;  Heb.  8:6;  12:24. 

Q.  2.  How  may  the  functions  of  Christ  as  Mediator 
be*  classified? 

A.     Into  those  of  prophet,  priest,  and  king. 

Q.  3.     Is  this  classification  made  in  Scripture? 

A.  Not  expressly;  but  the  facts  which  warrant  it 
are  presented  in  Scripture. 

Q.  4.     Is  this  classification  of  old  standing? 

A.  Yes.  The  historian  Eusebius,  who  died  A.  D. 
338,  gives  it,  not  as  a  novelty,  but  as  a  familiar  distribu- 
tion. 

Q.  5.  Are  not  these  offices  the  counterpart  of  our 
need? 

A.  Yes.  They  correspond  to  our  spiritual  ignor- 
ance, our  guilt,  our  self-will,  and  our  exposure  to  ene- 
mies. 

Q.  6.  Did  Christ,  while  in  this  world,  exercise  these 
functions  ? 

A.  Yes.  "He  taught  as  one  having  authority."  He 
offered  Himself  a  sacrifice  for  sin.  He  exhibited,  at  times, 
unbounded  power.  Matt.  7:29;  Heb.  9:26;  10:12;  Acts 
10:38. 

Q.  7.  Did  the  Son  of  God  before  His  incarnation  ex- 
ercise the  offices  of  prophet,  priest,  and  king? 

A.  Yes;  although  not  every  part  of  these  offices. 
For  instance,  His  work  of  obedience  and  suffering,  the 


124  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

chief  feature  of  His  priesthood,  could  not  be  performed 
until  He  assumed  our  nature. 

Q.  8.  Did  He  act  as  the  prophet  of  the  Church  be- 
fore His  incarnation? 

A,  Yes;  there  is  ground  to  believe  that  it  was  He 
who  in  the  garden  of  Eden  made  the  first  announcement 
of  the  gospel  and  from  Sinai  gave  forth  the  law.  Jno.  i : 
9,  i8;  Acts  7:38;  Mai.  3:1. 

Q.  9.  Did  He  act  as  a  priest  before  His  birth  in 
Bethlehem? 

A.  He  did  not  perform  the  sacrificial  function  of  His 
priestly  office  before  His  assumption  of  our  nature ;  but 
the  intercessory  part  of  that  office  He  could  and  did  exe- 
cute.    Is.  8:17;  62:1 ;  Zech.  I  :i2,  13. 

Q.  ID.     Did  He  act  as  king  before  His  incarnation? 

A.     Yes.     Gen.  48:16;  Ex.  23:20,  21;  Josh.  5:13,  14. 

Q.  II.  Did  He  perform  the  functions  of  prophet, 
priest,  and  king  during  the  period  of  His  sojourn  in  the 
earth  ? 

A.  Yes.  He  taught  with  majesty,  offered  Himself 
as  a  sacrifice  for  sinners,  interceded  for  them,  and  gave 
signal  proofs  of  His  royal  dignity,  real,  though  obscured. 
See  Jno.  8:12,  26;  Heb.  i  :r;  10:12;  Jno.  14:13;  16:15; 
17:2. 

Q,  12.  Does  Christ,  now  exalted,  continue  to  act  as 
prophet,  priest,  and  king? 

A.  Yes.  He  still  teaches  by  His  Word  and  Spirit, 
intercedes  for,  rules,  and  protects  His  people,  and,  it 
would  seem,  will  perpetually  sustain  such  relations  to 
them. 

Q.  13.  Which  of  the  three  offices  indicated  is  the 
most  fundamental? 

A.     That  of  priest. 

Q.  14.     Why  should  it  be  so  regarded? 

A.  Because  the  great  business  of  the  prophetic  office 
is  to  exhibit  the  priestly  work  of  Christ  as  the  ground  of 
the  sinner's  salvation;  while  the  business  of  the  kingly 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  125 

office  is  to  lead  men  to  trust  in  Christ  as  the  atoning  Sav- 
iour and  to  recognize  His  authority. 

Q.  15.  Yet  are  these  offices  so  separable  that  it  is 
possible  for  us  to  receive  Christ  in  one  office,  but  not  in 
the  others? 

A.  No.  Christ  is  not  thus  divided.  We  must  re- 
ceive Him  in  all  His  mediatorial  offices,  or  else  we  re- 
ceive Him  in  none.  Each  office  implies,  or  draws  with  it, 
the  rest.    They  cannot  be  divorced  from  each  other. 

TEXTS   TO  BE   COMMITTED  TO   MEMORY. 

Jno.  1:18;  Acts  7:38;  Mai.  3:1;  Zech.  1:12,  13;  Jno. 
8:26;  Heb.  1:1;  7:25;  Jno.  14:6. 


QUESTION  XXIV. 

How  doth  Christ  execute  the  office  of  a  prophet? 

ANSWER. 

Christ  executeth  the  office  of  a  prophet  in 
revealing  to  us  by  His  Word  and  Spirit  the  will 
of  God  for  our  salvation. 

Q.  I.  According  to  Scriptural  usage,  what  is  the 
meaning  of  the  word  "prophet"? 

A.  One  who  speaks  by  authority  for  another,  and 
particularly  for  God. 

Q.  2.  Mention  an  instance  confirmatory  of  this  defi- 
nition. 

A,  Such  is  found  in  Ex.  4:14-16,  where  we  are  in- 
formed that  Aaron  was  constituted  a  prophet  for  Moses, 
his  duty  being  to  express  in  words  to  Pharaoh  the  mind 
of  Moses.    Ex.  7:1,  2. 

Q.  3.  Is  the  very  prevalent  notion  correct  that  only 
one  who  foretells  events  is  a  prophet? 

A.  No.  He  who  is  an  authorized  spokesman  for 
God  is  a  genuine  prophet,  whether  his  utterances  be  in 
the  form  of  prediction,  or  praise,  or  history,  or  doctrine. 


126  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q,  4.  Do  the  Scriptures  teach  that  Christ,  as  Re- 
deemer, performs  the  part  of  a  prophet? 

A.  Yes.  See  Deut.  18:18,  19,  compared  with  Acts 
3  :20-24.  In  Is.  9 :6  He  is  called  "Counsellor,"  that  is,  one 
giving  counsel.  In  Is.  55  14  He  is  described  as  "a  wit- 
ness," or  one  testifying  "to  the  people."  In  Is.  61  :i,  2  He 
is  announced  as  one  who  should  bring  good  tidings  to 
men.     See  further  Jno.  1:18;  8:26,  28;  i2:z^4-5o;  17:6,  8, 

26. 

Q.  5.     What  is  the  scope  of  Christ's  prophetic  office? 

A.  To  make  known  to  men  the  truth  pertaining  to 
their  salvation.  Jno.  3:32-34;  7:16-18;  8:12,  31,  32;  12: 
44-50;  17:6,  8,  26;  Acts  3:22,  23. 

Q.  6.  How  does  Christ  perform  the  work  of  a 
prophet? 

A.  By  discovering  to  men  their  true  spiritual  condi- 
tion and  the  only  way  of  deliverance  and  life. 

Q.  7.  What  is  the  twofold  discovery  which  Christ 
makes  of  these  things? 

A.  That  by  His  word  and  that  directly  by  His 
Spirit;  or  an  objective  and  a  subjective  revelation. 

Q.  8.  Did  not  Christ  in  His  own  person  make,  in 
times  bygone,  a  discovery  to  men  of  God's  will  and  char- 
acter? 

A.  Yes.  During  the  time  of  His  earthly  sojourn 
He  was  a  manifestation  of  God,  an  infallible  teacher  of 
morals,  and  of  the  way  of  salvation.     Luke  4:16-21;  24: 

27,  44,  45- 

Q.  9.  Even  before  His  incarnation  did  He  not  di- 
rectly impart  to  certain  persons  a  knowledge  of  their  duty 
and  privileges? 

A,  Yes.  There  is  some  ground  to  believe  that  it  was 
He  Who  revealed  to  Adam  and  Eve  in  the  garden  of 
Eden  salvation  by  the  seed  of  the  woman,  and  at  a  later 
date  proclaimed  from  Sinai  the  Ten  Commandments  with 
a  gospel  preface. 

Q.  10.  What  ground  is  there  for  the  belief  just  ex- 
pressed? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  127 

A.  In  brief  it  may*'be  said  that  this  view  receives 
support  from  Jno.  i:i8;  Acts  5^:38;  Mai.  3:1. 

Q.  II.  How  does  Christ  indirectly,  or  mediately, 
make  an  outward  discovery  of  truth  to  men  for  their  sal- 
vation ? 

A.  a.  By  the  Scriptures,  which  are  the  Word  of 
Christ.  Col,  3:16; 
h.  All  teachers  of  the  truth  "as  it  is  in  Jesus" 
are  qualified  and  used  by  Him  for  the  pur- 
pose of  showing  and  commending  the  way 
of  life.    Eph.  4:11-13;  2  Cor.  5  :20. 

Q.  12.  Did  Christ  directly  inspire  the  writers  of  the 
Scriptures  and  others  who  from  time  to  time,  as  prophets, 
made  known  the  mind  of  God? 

A.  No.  The  Holy  Spirit  performed  this  part;  but 
He  did  it  as  the  Spirit  of  Christ  and  as  a  witness  for  Him. 
See  I  Pet.  i  :i  i ;  Jno,  14 :26 ;  15  -.26 ;  16 114. 

Q.  13.  Is  the  objective,  or  outward,  revelation  of 
saving  truth  all  that  is  needed  in  order  to  our  spiritual  en- 
lightenment? 

A.  No.  There  is  requisite,  besides,  a  power  to  per- 
ceive the  excellence  of  such  truth  and  its  suitableness 
for  us.  I  Cor.  2:14;  Jno.  3:3;  Ps.  119:18;  Acts  26:18; 
Eph.  I  :i7,  18. 

Q,  14.  Who  is  the  direct,  or  immediate,  author  of 
this  perceptive  power,  or  this  capacity  to  discern  and  ap- 
preciate spiritual  truth? 

A.  The  Holy  Spirit.  Jno.  3:5;  14:26;  16:13,  14; 
Rom.  8:13,  14;  I  Cor.  12:3. 

Q.  15.  Does  the  Holy  Spirit  in  so  operating  act, 
however,  as  the  agent  of  Christ? 

A,  Yes,  Jno.  14:26;  15:26;  16:7;  Acts  2:33;  Rom. 
8  '.g.  This  fact  is  suggested  by  the  word  "His"  in  the  an- 
swer; the  form  being  "His  Word  and  Spirit,"  not  "the 
Word  and  Spirit." 

TEXTS  TO   BE  COMMITTED  TO   MEMORY. 

Deut.  18:18,  19;  I  Pet.  I  :ii ;  Eph.  4:11,  12,  18;  Acts 
2:33;  Jno.  16:7;  Rom,  8:9;  i  Cor,  12:3, 


128  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

QUESTION  XXV. 

How  doth  Christ  execute  the  office  of  a 
priest? 

ANSWER. 

Christ  executeth  the  office  of  a  priest  in  His 
once  offering  up  of  Himself  a  sacrifice  to  satisfy 
Divine  justice  and  reconcile  us  to  God,  and  in 
making  continual  intercession  for  us. 

Q.  I.  Is  the  word  "priest"  used  in  Scripture  both 
in  a  literal  and  a  figurative  sense? 

A.  Yes.  The  Levitical  priests  were  priests  in  a  lit- 
eral sense,  while  all  believers  are,  as  such,  represented  to 
be  priests,  but  only  in  a  figurative  aspect.  See  Rom.  12: 
i;  Eph.  5:2;  Phil,  4:18;  Heb.  10:19-22;  13:15,  16;  i  Pet. 

2:5-9- 

Q.  2.  What  are  the  special  functions  of  a  literal 
priest? 

A.  a.  In  general  terms  to  act  in  behalf  of  men  God- 
ward.    Heb.  5  :i ; 

b.  Particularly  to  present  sacrifice  to   God  for 

men.    Heb.  5  :i ;  8:3; 

c.  To  intercede  with  God  for  men.     Heb.  6:20; 

7 :24,  25  ;  9 :24. 

Q.  3.  Do  the  sacred  writings  describe  Christ  as  ex- 
ercising priestly  functions? 

A.  Yes,  very  distinctly.  Ps,  110:4;  Heb.  3:1;  4: 
14;  5:5,  6;  7:23-28. 

Q.  4.  How  do  Unitarians  and  many  not  so  called, 
although  closely  related,  regard  the  priesthood  of  Christ? 

A.  They  contend  that  He  was  a  priest  in  a  figura- 
tive sense  merely,  even  as  all  Christians  are  required  to 
be,  in  self-denial,  in  benevolent  acts,  in  labors  and  pray- 
ers for  the  well-being  of  men. 

Q.  5.  How  do  such  people  try  to  offset  the  fact  that 
in  Scripture  Christ  is  said  to  have  offered  Himself  as  a 
sacrifice? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  129 

A.  By  adducing  texts  to  prove  that  the  same  sac- 
rifice is  demanded  of  all  Christians,  and  in  a  good  meas- 
ure rendered  by  them.  Rom.  12:1;  i  Pet.  2:5;  Rev.  1:6. 
Q.  6.  How  does  the  sacrifice  offered  by  Christ  differ 
from,  and  excel,  that  which  any  of  His  followers  can 
offer? 

A.  a.  In  intrinsic  value,  and  that  in  a  twofold  re- 
spect. It  was  perfect  both  as  to  matter 
and  motive,  whereas  that  of  the  disciples 
of  Christ  never  is ;  while,  besides,  Christ's 
sacrifice  was  that  of  a  Divine  person ; 

b.  In  voluntariness.    In  the  case  of  Christians  it 

is  a  matter  of  obligation  to  seek  to  pro- 
mote the  well-being  of  their  fellowmen, 
and  even  to  practice  self-denial  for  this 
purpose.  Self-sacrifice  for  the  good  of 
others  is  the  law  of  their  being,  both  as 
creatures  and  as  new  creatures.  But  in 
becoming  man  Christ  freely  assumed,  and 
till  death  bore,  the  responsibilities  of  His 
people. 

c.  In  vicariousness.    Christ  offered  Himself  as  a 

sacrifice  in  the  very  room  and  stead  of 
His  people,  so  that  what  He  did  and  suf- 
fered might  be  reckoned  legally  as  done 
and  borne  by  them ;  whereas  the  sacrifices 
which  Christians  make,  while  beneficial  to 
others,  are  not  reckoned  in  law  as  made 
by  those  others. 

Q.  7.     What  are  the  parts  of  Christ's  priestly  work? 

A.     The  offering  of  sacrifice    and  the  making  of  in- 
tercession. Eph.  5:2;  Phil.  2:7,  8;  Heb.  7:25-28;  10:12-14. 

Q.  8.     What  did  Christ  offer  as  sacrifice? 

A.     a.  Not  any  animals  such  as  the  Levitical  priests 
presented.    Heb.  9:12,  13; 
h.  But  Himself,  that  is.  His  human  nature,  con- 
sisting of  body  and  soul.     Phil.  2:7,  8; 
Heb.  10:5,  10;  I  Pet.  2:24;  Is.  53:10,  11. 


130  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  9.  Did  the  Divine  nature  of  Christ  have  any  part 
in  this  sacrificial  work? 

A,     Yes,  in  different  respects. 

a.  This  nature,  in  other  words,  the  eternal  Son 

of  God,  condescended  to  assume  as  an  in- 
separable adjunct  the  human  nature ; 

b.  The  Divine  person  of  the  Son,  in  conjunction 

with  the  Father,  through  the  Holy  Spirit, 
sustained  the  assumed  human  nature  in  its 
work; 

c.  Owing  to  the  personal  union  of  the  two  na- 

tures of  Christ,  the  work  done  in  and  by 
His  human  nature  contracted  unbounded 
merit,  for  it  was  the  work  of  One  Who 
was  at  once  God  and  man.  Acts  20:28; 
I  Cor.  2:8; 

d.  The  Divine  nature  and  the  human  nature  in 

personal  union  presented  the  latter  in  sac- 
rifice to  God.  Christ  acted  and  still  acts 
in  both  natures  as  priest. 

Q.  10.  Does  the  sacrifice  rendered  by  Christ  once, 
that  is,  during  the  time  of  His  humiliation,  suffice  to  se- 
cure the  salvation  of  all  for  whom  it  was  rendered? 

A.  Yes.  It  needs  neither  repetition  nor  addition. 
Heb.  7:27;  9:25-28;  10:12-14. 

Q.  II.  How  do  Roman  Catholics  practically  deny 
the  finality  and  sufficiency  of  Christ's  sacrifice  which  cul- 
minated on  Calvary? 

A.  By  their  dogma  touching  the  "sacrifice  of  the 
mass." 

Q.  12.     What  is  the  purport  of  this  dogma? 

A.  It  is  to  the  effect  that  when  a  "priest"  pro- 
nounces certain  Latin  words  over  the  elements  of  the 
Lord's  Supper,  these  are  changed  into  the  body  and 
blood,  soul  and  divinity,  of  Christ,  although  no  token  of 
the  change  is  observable  by  the  bodily  senses ;  and  that 
this  product  forms  a  sacrifice  to  be  offered  by  the  priest 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  131 

to  God  for  the  sins  of  the  living,  and  also  of  the  dead  who 
are  in  purgatory. 

Q.  13.  Show  in  brief  the  gross  falsity  of  this  doc- 
trine. 

A.  a.  It  rests  on  the  unscriptural  and  absurd  doc- 
trine of  transubstantiation,  touching  which 
something  will  be  said  under  a  future 
question ; 

b.  It  assumes  that  a  creature  can  offer  Christ  as 

a  victim; 

c.  It   detracts   from   the  worth   of   the  offering 

which  Christ  made  of  Himself; 

d.  It  conflicts  with  the  teaching  of  Scripture  as 

to  the  finality  and  completeness  of  Christ's 
atoning  work  during  His  earthly  sojourn. 
Rom.  3:24,  25;  8:32,  34;  10:4;  Heb.  7:27; 
9:12,  25-28;  10:10,  12,  14,  18. 
Q.  14.  Did  the  sacrifice  which  Christ  made  consist 
of  suffering  only? 

A.  No.  It  involved  obedience  to  the  precepts,  as 
well  as  submission  to  the  penalty,  of  the  law.  Ps.  40:8; 
Matt.  3:17;  Phil.  2:8. 

Q.  15.  Did  the  spirit  of  obedience  pervade  the  suf- 
ferings of  Christ? 

A.  He  suffered  lovingly  toward  both  the  law  and 
the  Lawgiver.     See  Jno.  14:10,  11;  17:4,  8. 

Q.  16.  Did  Christ  freely  take  upon  Him  the  cove- 
nant obligations  of  His  people? 

A.  Yes.  I  Pet.  1:18,  19;  2:24;  3:18;  Rom.  10:4. 
Q.  17.  Indicate  the  obligations  meant. 
A.  a.  The  rendering  of  perfect  obedience  to  the  pre- 
cepts of  the  law.  Adam  was  bound  in  the 
covenant  made  with  him  to  obey  God  per- 
fectly in  order  to  have  confirmation  in 
God's  everlasting  favor;  and  if  any  one 
would  be  saved,  he  must  meet  this  re- 
quirement.   Matt.  19:17;  Gal.  3:10,  12; 


132  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 


b.  The  meeting  of  the  penalty  due  to  us  for  sin 
original  and  actual.  Rom.  6 123 ;  Gal.  3  :io, 
13;  2  Cor.  5:21. 

Q.  18.  Did  Christ  in  His  character  as  priest  and 
surety  fully  meet  this  twofold  obligation  for  His  people? 

A.  Yes.  Rom.  3:26;  10:4;  5:19;  i  Cor.  1:30;  Heb. 
9:28;  10:15. 

Q.  19.  What  is  meant  by  the  clause,  "And  reconcile 
us  to  God,"  which  occurs  in  the  answer? 

A.  It  means  to  secure  for  us  the  favor  of  God,  or 
His  positive  friendship.  Christ  not  merely  removed  the 
penalty  of  His  people's  sin;  but  also  provided  for  them 
acceptance  with  God  and  a  title  to  His  everlasting  friend- 
ship. 

Q.  20.  How  may  pardon  and  acceptance  be  distin- 
guished from  each  other  ? 

A.  "Pardon"  is  the  cancelling  of  guilt,  or  obligation 
to  penalty.  "Acceptance"  denotes  the  right  and  recep- 
tion of  one  to  positive  favor. 

Q.  21.  Is  there  a  double  reconciliation  effected  by 
Christ's  sacrifice? 

A.  a.  Yes.  God,  as  a  just  sovereign,  receives  sat- 
isfaction for  the  sins  of  the  elect,  and  so 
His  judicial  displeasure  toward  them  is  re- 
moved ; 

b.  By  His  sacrifice  Christ  provided  for  the  re- 
moval in  the  case  of  the  elect  of  that  en- 
mity to  God  which  exists  in  fallen  man.* 
Q.  22.     How  is  this  aversion  to  God  on  the  part  o£ 
men  removed  and  love  to  God  installed  in  its  place? 

A.  By  the  gracious  operation  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
Rom.  15  :i3. 

Q.  23.  Did  Christ  by  His  sacrifice  secure  for  all  His 
people  this  gracious  operation? 

A.     Yes.    Tit.  3:5,  6;  2:14;  Acts  2:33;  Jno.  16:13,  14. 

*See  Note  at  the  end  of  Question  XXV. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  133 

Q.  24.     What  is  the  second  branch  of  Christ's  priest- 
ly office? 

A.     Intercession.     Rom.  8:34;  Heb.  4:14;  6:20;  7: 
25;  9:24;  I  Jno.  2:2. 

Q.  25.     How  does  Christ  now  intercede? 
A.     By  appearing  in  behalf  of  His  people  before  His 
Father  with  the  claim  that  the  promises  in  their  favor 
made  to  Himself  as  their  representative  be  in  due  time 
fulfilled.    Heb.  9:24;  7:25. 

Q.  26.     Why  is  this  intercession  requisite? 
A.     a.  Not  because  there  is  any  reluctance  on  the 
part  of  the  Father  to  bestow  upon   the 
elect  the  blessings  won  for  them  by  Christ. 
Rom.  8:32;  Jno.  10:17;  16:23,  2y; 

b.  That  the  connection  between  the  atonement 

of  Christ  and  the  salvation  of  His  people 
might  be  made  and  kept  clear.    Jno.  14:6; 
Eph.  2:18;  Rev.  8:3. 
Q.  27.     For  whom  does  Christ  intercede? 
A.     For  those,  and  only  for  those,  given  to  Him  to 
be  redeemed,  and  for  whom  He  gave  Himself  as  a  sacri- 
fice.    Rom.  8:32-34;  Jno.  17:9,  20. 

Q.  28.     Before  their  conversion,  what  benefits   ac- 
crue to  the  elect  from  Christ's  intercession? 

A.  a.  He  seeks  and  secures  for  them  access  to  the 
means  of  grace,  so  far  as  may  be  necessary 
for  their  salvation.  Gospel  truth  is  either 
brought  to  them,  or  they  to  it.    Rom.  10: 

14,  15.  17; 
h.  He  provides  that  they  shall  not  die  before  ob- 
taining regeneration  and  justification.    To 
die  in  sin  is  to  be  lost.    Jno.  8:21 ; 

c.  He  secures  their  preservation  from  falling  into 

the  unpardonable  sin ; 

d.  He  seeks  that  at  the  time  stipulated  in  the 

covenant  of  grace  they  shall  be  regener- 
ated, and  so  vitally  united  to  Him. 


134  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  29.  After  conversion,  what  benefits  accrue  to  the 
elect  from  Christ's  intercession? 

A.  Support,  protection,  and  guidance.  Luke  22 132 ; 
Jno.  17:20,  21 ;  Rom.  8:34. 

Q.  30.  What  benefits  are  secured  to  His  people  at 
death  by  the  intercession  of  Christ? 

A.  Victory  over  death  and  entrance  into  glory.  Jno. 
17:24;  Phil.  1 :2i,  23. 

Q.  31.  Will  the  intercession  of  Christ  for  His  people 
cease  ? 

A.     a.  Certainly     not     till     they    shall    have    been 
brought  to  glory,  both  as  to  body  and  as 
to  soul.    Heb.  7:25; 
b.  Probably  not  even  then.    He  will  continue  to 
be  a  guarantee  of  their  stability,  and  it 
will  never  be  left  out  of  sight  that  their 
permanence  in  glory  is  due  to  His  work. 
Rev.  7:17;  21 :22,  23. 
Q.  32.     Does  not  the  statement  now  made  conflict 
with  the  teaching  of  i  Cor.  15:24,  28? 

A.  Not  necessarily.  These  texts  announce  some 
change  in  the  relation  of  the  Son  to  the  Father  in  the 
government  of  the  world,  but  not  a  complete  termination 
of  His  mediatorial  relation  to  His  people.  The  perpetui- 
ty of  His  mediatorship  is  implied  in  verse  28;  for  it  is 
only  officially  that  He  is  subject  to  the  Father. 


Note. 

The  expression,  "And  reconcile  us  to  God,"  which 
occurs  in  the  Shorter  Catechism  in  the  definition  of 
Christ's  priestly  office,  may  be,  indeed  has  been,  variously 
understood.  Some  have  supposed  it  to  signify  the  re- 
moval of  our  enmity  to  God  and  the  production  of  love  to 
Him  instead.  Others  regard  it  as  denoting  the  removal 
of  God's  legal,  or  judicial,  displeasure  toward  us  as  vio- 
lators of  His  law.  Still  others  would  interpret  the  ex- 
pression as  inclusive  of  the  two  ideas  just  stated. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  135 

While  heartily  holding  that  Christ,  as  a  priest,  offered 
Himself  to  expiate  His  people's  sin,  and  to  procure  grace 
for  the  removal  of  their  enmity  to  God;  yet  I  am  of  the 
opinion  that  the  clause  "reconcile  us  to  God"  was  meant 
to  express  establishment  in  the  favor  of  God.  By  the 
atoning  work  of  Christ,  not  only  was  God's  judicial  anger 
turned  from  us,  but  also  His  everlasting  favor  was  se- 
cured; and  this  latter  fact,  I  think,  is  indicated  by  the 
clause  "reconcile  us  to  God."  The  clause,  "satisfy  Divine 
justice,"  points  to  expiation ;  while  the  other  clause,  "rec- 
oncile us  to  God,"  points  to  propitiation.  This  inter- 
pretation may  be  vindicated  on  three  grounds : 

First:  The  word  "reconcile"  was  often  used  in  a 
former  age  as  equivalent  to  "conciliate."  Beyond  doubt 
this  is  its  meaning  in  our  authorized  version  of  Matt.  5 : 
24,  "First  be  reconciled  to  thy  brother." 

Second:  In  the  answer  to  the  corresponding  ques- 
tion of  the  Larger  Catechism,  we  find  instead  of  the  ex- 
pression, "reconcile  us  to  God,"  the  less  ambiguous  state- 
ment, "Make  reconciliation  for  the  sins  of  His  people." 

Third :  The  change  of  our  hearts  from  a  state  of  en- 
mity to  one  of  love  toward  God,  while  provided  for  by 
Christ  as  priest,  proceeds  more  directly  from  Him  as 
king.    Ps.  45-3-5;  110:3;  Acts  5:31;  Eph.  4:8,  15,  16. 

One  point  which  must  be  ever  kept  clear  is  that 
Christ  did  not  offer  Himself  to  produce  for  us  the  love  of 
God,  but  to  provide  a  way  for  its  outgoing  to  us  consist- 
ently with  justice,  and  to  insure  such  outgoing. 

TEXTS  TO   BE   COMMITTED   TO   MEMORY. 

Eph.  5  :2 ;  Heb.  9:12,  13 ;  Is.  53  :io,  1 1 ;  i  Pet.  2 124. 


QUESTION  XXVI. 

How  doth  Christ  execute  the  office  of  a 
king? 

ANSWER. 

Christ  executeth  the  offfce  of  a  king  in  sub- 
duing us  to  Himself,  in  ruHng  and  defending  us, 
and  in  restraining  and  conquering  all  His  and 
our  enemies. 


136  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  1.  As  a  person,  of  the  Godhead,  is  not  Christ  al- 
mighty? 

A.     Yes.    This  has  already  been  shown. 

Q.  2.  When  we  speak  of  Christ  as  king,  do  we  re- 
fer to  Him  simply  as  a  person  of  the  Godhead? 

A.  No.  His  official,  or  mediatorial,  sovereignty  is 
meant. 

Q.  3.     Is  Christ  a  king  in  a  twofold  respect? 

A.  Yes.  As  God,  He  has  in  common  with  the 
Father  and  the  Holy  Spirit  all  power  and  universal  sway. 
This  sovereignty  is  sometimes  styled  His  "essential  king- 
ship." 

Q.  4.     Can  He  ever  divest  Himself  of  this  royalty? 

A.     No ;  not  any  more  than  He  can  cease  to  be  God. 

Q.  5.     Before  creation  was  He  a  king? 

A.  Yes,  in  the  sense  of  being  omnipotent,  and, 
therefore,  able  to  create  and  control  a  universe. 

Q.  6.     Is  Christ  a  king  in  another  sense? 

A.  Yes.  As  Mediator  He  is  by  the  Father,  acting 
for  the  Trinity,  invested  with  all  authority  for  the  pur- 
pose of  saving  sinners  belonging  to  the  human  race. 
Matt.  20:18;  Eph.  1:20-22. 

Q.  7.  Is  Christ,  then,  a  king  in  this  secondary,  or 
official,  sense? 

A.  Yes.  See  Ps.  2:6-12;  45:6,  7,  II ;  72:4,  8,  II,  17; 
110:1-3;  Is.  9:6,  7;  Zech.  9:9;  Jno.  18:37;  Eph.  1:20-22. 

Q.  8.  Which  of  the  offices  of  Christ  is  the  most  fun- 
damental? 

A.  His  priestly  office.  As  prophet.  His  great  work 
is  to  reveal  Himself  as  priest  making  atonement  by  of- 
fering Himself  as  a  sacrifice  for  His  people.  As  king. 
His  great  work  is  to  lead  men  to  submit  themselves  to 
the  acceptance  of  that  way  of  salvation  which  by  His 
priestly  work  has  been  opened  to  them. 

Q.  9.  When  did  the  Son  of  God  begin  to  act  as 
mediatorial  king? 

A.  Immediately  after  the  fall  of  man,  when  He 
seems  to  have  prescribed  the  use  of  animals  for  sacrifice 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  137 

to  foreshadow  the  sacrifice  to  be  rendered  by  Himself  in 
the  "fulness  of  time,"  and  when,  as  there  is  some  ground 
for  thinking.  He  "subdued"  to  Himself  by  the  agency  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  the  hearts  of  Adam  and  Eve. 

Q.  10.  What  is  the  special  domain  of  Christ's  media- 
torial kingship? 

A.  His  Church.  Ps.  2:6;  48:2;  110:2,  3;  Is.  11  :i- 
9;  Zech.  6:12,  13;  Eph.  i  :22;  Phil.  2:9-11;  Col.  i  :i8. 

Q.  II.  In  what  two  aspects  does  the  Church  of 
Christ  appear  in  Scripture? 

A.     In  brief,  as  the  professing  and  as  the  possess- 
ing religious  society.    Other  terms,  and  these  more  gen- 
erally in  use,  to  express  the  same  distinction,  are  the 
"Church  Visible"  and  the  "Church  Invisible?" 
-     Q.  12.     What  is  meant  by  the  Church  Visible? 

A.  The  company  consisting  of  those  who  more  or 
less  fully  profess  the  true  religion,  together  with  their 
children,  i  Cor.  i  :2;  Rom.  9:4;  i  Cor.  7:14.  This  is  the 
professing  Church. 

Q.  13.     What  is  meant  by  "the  Church  Invisible"? 

A.  The  company  of  the  elect  who  have  been,  or  are 
to  be,  brought  into  a  saving  union  with  Christ,  the  Head. 
Eph.  1:22,  23;  Jno.  10:16;  17:21,  24. 

Q.  14.  What  are  the  prerogatives  of  Christ  as  king 
of  the  visible,  or  professing,  ecclesiastical  society? 

A.     a.  To  prescribe  its  form  of  government.     Acts 
1 :2,  3 ;  Eph.  5  :23 ;  Col.  1:18;  Rev.  2:1; 
h.  To  dictate  the  method  of  appointing  men  to 
office  in  the  Church.     Luke  6:13;  24:48, 
49;  Eph.  4:11,  12; 

c.  To  prescribe  the  ordinances  of  worship.  Matt. 

28:19,  20;  Acts  I  :i ;  I  Cor.  11:23; 

d.  To   enjoin   the   discipline   to  be    maintained. 

I  Cor.  5:4;  2  Thess.  3:6;  Rev.  2:14,  20; 

e.  To  accompany  the  administration  of  His  ordi- 

nances with  spiritual  power  issuing  in  the 
conversion,  sanctification,  and  glorifica- 
tion of  the  elect. 


138  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  15.  Is  the  dominion  of  Christ  as  Mediator  over 
the  universe  subservient  to  the  interests  of  His  Church, 
particularly  of  His  true  disciples? 

A.  Yes.  Eph.  1:22;  Heb,  1:14;  Rev.  3:9,  10;  Matt. 
28:19,  20. 

Q.  16.  Do  men,  as  fallen,  readily  accept  Christ  as 
king? 

A.  No.  Jno.  15:18,  24;  Rom.  8:7;  i  Cor.  12:3;  2 
Cor.  4:4;  10:5;  Jno.  5:40. 

Q.  17.     How  does  Christ  overcome  this  hostility? 

A.  By  His  Word  and  Spirit.  The  Word  is  the  out- 
ward means  and  the  Spirit  the  agent  in  opening  the 
heart  to  receive  Christ  in  all  His  offices.  Ps.  119:18; 
Acts  2:33;  Jno.  16:7-14;  I  Cor.  2:12,  14. 

Q.  18.  Having  subdued  His  people  and  secured 
their  allegiance  to  Him,  what  more  does  Christ  as  media- 
torial king  do  in  their  behalf? 

A.  He  rules  them,  and  protects  them  from  becom- 
ing the  prey  of  the  craft  and  power  of  their  foes ;  nay, 
He  overwhelms  in  shame  and  ruin  all  of  His  and  their 
enemies.  Jno.  17:7,  9,  11,  15;  i  Cor.  15:24-26;  Heb.  2: 
14,  15;  I  Jno.  3:8. 

Q,  19.  Is  allegiance  to  a  civil  government  which 
fails  to  recognize  the  mediatorial  kingship  of  Christ  war- 
rantable? 

A.  a.  Yes.  Civil  government  is  founded  in  nature, 
not  in  grace ; 

b.  Daniel    and    others    held    even    office    under 

heathen  kings,  and  are  not  censured  in 
Scripture  for  so  doing; 

c.  Believers  in   common  with  others   are   com- 

manded to  honor  the  king,  or  the  civil 
power,  as  such.  Rom.  13:1-7;  i  Pet.  2: 
i3»  14; 

d.  Children,  in  like  manner,  are  to  honor  their 

parents,  even  though  these  do  not  honor 
Christ. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  139 

Q.  20.  Is  it  the  duty  of  civil  governments  which  en- 
joy the  light  of  the  gospel  to  acknowledge  the  suprem- 
acy of  Christ  and  His  law? 

A.     Yes.     Ps.  2:10-12;  12:10,  11;  Phil.  2:9,  10. 

Q.  21.  Yet  is  it  warrantable  for  the  civil  power  to 
intrude  upon  the  domain  of  conscience,  where  God  alone 
is  Lord? 

A.  No.  Acts  4:19;  5  :29.  But  it  is  one  of  the  most 
difficult  questions  which  confront  the  civil  magistrate  to 
guard  on  the  one  hand  against  disloyalty  to  Christ,  and 
on  the  other  against  interfering  with  the  rights  of  con- 
science. 

TEXTS  TO  BE   COMMITTED  TO   MEMORY. 

Ps.  2:y;  Matt.  28:19,  20;  Eph.  1:20-22;  Phil.  2:9-11; 
Heb.  I  :i4;  Eph.  4:11,  12;  i  Pet.  2:13,  14;  Eph.  5:23-29. 


QUESTION  XXVII. 

Wherein  did  Christ's  humiliation  consist? 

ANSWER. 

Christ's  humiliation  consisted  in  His  being 
born,  and  that  in  a  low  condition;  made  under 
the  law;  undergoing  the  miseries  of  this  life, 
the  wrath  of  God,  and  the  cursed  death  of  the 
cross ;  in  being  buried,  and  continuing  imder  the 
power  of  death  for  a  time, 

Q.  I.  What  different  items  of  the  humiliation  of 
Christ  are  here  specified? 

A.  Eight:  namely,  birth;  birth  in  lowly  condition; 
subjection  to  the  law,  to  the  miseries  of  this  life,  to  the 
wrath  of  God,  to  the  painful  and  disgraceful  death  of  the 
cross,  to  burial,  and  to  temporary  detention  as  death's 
prisoner. 

Q.  2.  Is  it  proper  to  count  the  assumption  of  our 
nature  as  an  element  of  Christ's  humiliation? 


140  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.  This  may  be  called  an  act  of  condescension, 
rather  than  of  humiliation ;  for  now,  when  His  state  of 
humiliation  is  ended,  He  still  retains  the  human  nature. 

Q.  3.  Was  the  fact  of  being  born  of  a  woman  a  part 
of  our  Lord's  humiliation? 

A.  Yes.  In  this  respect  He  presented  the  appear- 
ance of  complete  dependence  on  a  mere  human  being. 

Q.  4.  Could  the  Son  of  God  have  become  man  with- 
out being  born? 

A.  Yes.  Adam  was  human,  yet  never  was  born ; 
and  a  human  nature  might  directly  and  independently 
have  been  provided  for  Christ. 

Q.  5.     Mention  a  second  item  of  this  humiliation. 

A.  Christ  was  born  of  a  woman  in  lowly  station, 
although  of  lofty  lineage. 

Q.  6.  What  indications  are  there  of  the  limitations 
of  Mary's  temporal  estate? 

A.  a.  Her  husband,  Joseph,  was  an  artisan  of  some 
kind,  most  probably  a  carpenter.  Matt. 
13:55; 

b.  There  is  reason  to  believe  that  Jesus,  instead 

of  being  sent  to  some  seat  of  education, 
contributed  to  the  support  of  the  house- 
hold by  working  with  Joseph.    Mark  6 :3 ; 

c.  The  offering  made  by  Joseph  and  Mary  after 

the  birth  of  Jesus  indicates  their  poverty. 
Luke  2:24;  Lev.  12:8; 

d.  In  His  public  ministry  Christ  seems  to  have 

been  dependent  for  temporal  subsistence 
on  the  charity  of  those  whom  He  had 
helped.  Matt.  8:20;  Luke  8:3;  10:38; 
Jno.  12:2.  To  this  it  may  be  added  that 
on  the  cross  He  commended  His  mother 
to  the  care  of  John,  as  if  she  needed  help 
and  a  home.  Jno.  19:27. 
Q.  7.  State  a  third  element  of  the  humiliation  of 
Christ. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  141 

A.     He  was  made  under  the  law.     Gal.  4:4;  Rom. 
5:19. 

Q.  8.     How  could  it  be  humiliation  in  His  case  to 
come  under  the  law  of  God? 

A.  a.  He  himself  in  essential  unity  with  the  other 
persons  of  the  Godhead  was  the  fountain 
of  the  law,  and  not  subject  to  it; 
h.  He,  the  Lord  of  the  law,  submitted  Himself 
to  it  as  to  precept,  and,  should  He  break 
it,  as  to  its  penalty  also. 

Q.  9.  Under  what  law  did  He  thus  voluntarily 
come? 

A.  Pre-eminently  the  moral  law,  which  is  emphat- 
ically the  law  of  God  for  our  race. 

Q.  10.  Did  Christ,  besides,  come  under  those  by- 
laws prescribed  to  the  Israelites  of  Old  Testament  times? 

A.  Yes.  It  behooved  Him  "to  fulfil  all  righteous- 
ness." The  moral  law  bound  the  Israelites  to  observe 
carefully  and  heartily  the  precepts,  ceremonial  and  judi- 
cial, prescribed  to  them  as  a  distinct  people ;  and,  by  vir- 
tue of  His  birth  as  a  Jew,  Christ  came  under  those  enact- 
ments. 

Q.  II.  Did  Christ  come  under  the  law  in  its  cove- 
nant form,  and  as  broken  in  that  form? 

A.  Yes;  He  took  the  place  of  sinners  before  the 
law  in  order  to  bear  the  penalty  due  to  them,  and  fulfil 
in  their  room  the  precepts  of  the  law,  thus  securing  to 
His  people  full  forgiveness  and  favor  with  God.  Rom. 
3:21,  22;  5:19;  10:4;  I  Cor.  1:30;  2  Cor.  5:21;  Gal.  4:5, 

6;  Z-^Z- 

Q.  12.  In  what  sense  are  the  people  of  God  de- 
livered from  His  holy  law? 

A.  In  this,  that  their  pardon  and  their  title  to 
Divine  favor  do  not  depend  on  their  suffering  and  serv- 
ing, but  on  Christ's  obedience  unto  death. 

Q.  13.  Are  they,  then,  freed  from  the  law  as  a  rule 
of  life? 


142  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.  Nay;  their  obligation  to  keep  it  as  a  rule  of  life 
is  increased  unspeakably  by  their  deliverance  from  it  in 
its  covenant  aspect.  Rom.  12:1;  Gal.  2:19,  20;  Rom.  6. 
14;  Tit.  2:14;  Rom.  y.S. 

Q.  14.  Are  the  sins  of  believers  against  the  law  as 
a  rule  of  life  covered  by  the  atoning  work  of  Christ? 

A.     Yes.     Ps.  103:3;  Micah  7:18;  Jno.  5:24. 

Q.  15.  Mention  a  fourth  element  of  Christ's  humil- 
iation. 

A.     His  "undergoing  the  miseries  of  this  life." 

Q.  16.  What  in  general  is  meant  by  the  phrase, 
"the  miseries  of  this  life"? 

A.  The  limitations,  or  infirmities,  of  our  nature, 
together  with  the  ills  to  which,  since  the  fall,  men  are  in 
common  subject. 

Q.  17.  What  are  the  limitations,  or  weaknesses,  at- 
taching to  human  nature  in,  at  least,  the  present  life? 

A.  Susceptibility  to  hunger,  thirst,  fatigue,  bodily 
pain,  mental  pain,  or  grief. 

Q.  18.  Did  Christ  become  actually  subject  to  these 
forms  of  trial? 

A.  Yes.  Matt.  4:2;  Jno.  4:6,  7;  19:28;  Luke  22: 
44;  Mark  14:34. 

Q.  19.  Is  there  ground  to  think  that  Christ  became 
subject  to  bodily  disease? 

A.     No.  ■ 

a.  We  never  read  in  the  inspired  record  that  He 

was  sick.  The  words  in  Matt.  24:36,  "1 
was  sick,"  are  by  the  context  shown  to  re- 
fer not  to  Himself  personally,  but  to  His 
people,  with  whom  He  is  identified  by  cove- 
nant and  sympathy; 

b.  Bodily  disease  would  have  hindered  Him  in 

His  arduous  work.  "He  went  about  do- 
ing good;" 

c.  He  took  our  nature  in  purity.     In  His  soul 

there  was  no  sin,  and  in  His  body  there 
were  no  seeds  of  disease. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  143 

Q.  20.  How  then  is  the  statement  made  in  Matt. 
8:17  to  be  explained,  "Himself  took  our  infirmities  and 
bare  our  sicknesses  (or  diseases)"? 

A.    a.  This  cannot  mean  that  our  Lord  was  actu- 
ally afflicted  with  every  disease  and  phys- 
ical disability  found  among  men.    He  was 
not  a  leper,  for  instance,  nor  a  cripple; 
h.  The  meaning  is  that  the  cures  wrought  by 
Christ  were  performed  by  Him  in  proof, 
and  in  accordance  with  the  spirit,  of  His 
great  mission  to  deliver  men  from  sin,  the 
source  of  bodily  maladies. 
Q.  21.     Specify  a  fifth  item  of  our  Lord's  humilia- 
tion. 

A.     His  undergoing  the  wrath  of  God. 
Q.  22.     What  is  the  wrath  of  God? 
A.     Not  a  blind  rage,  or  tempestuous  fury,  fitful  and 
transient,  though  terrible  while  it  lasts;  but  a  calm  op- 
position to  sin,  and  an  inflexible  demand  that  it  be  ade- 
quately punished. 

Q.  23.  Prove  that  Christ  came  under  this  dire 
wrath. 

A.  Scripture  abounds  with  statements  not  only  that 
Christ  suffered,  but  also  that  He  suffered  to  expiate  the 
sins  of  others.  See  Is,  53:10,  11,  13;  Zech.  13:7;  Matt. 
27:46;  Rom.  8:3;  2  Cor.  5:21;  Gal.  3:13;  Heb.  9:28;  i 
Pet.  2 :24 ;  i  Jno.  2:1;  4:10;  Rev.  i  :5 ;  5  '.9. 

Q.  24.  Was  there  any  thing  in  Christ,  either  as 
God  or  as  man,  to  draw  upon  Him  the  wrath  of  His 
Father? 

A.     No.    Jno.  3:35;  Luke  3:22;  Heb.  7:26. 
Q.  25.     How  then  could  He  be  the  object  of  God's 
wrath? 

A.  Only  on  the  ground  of  His  taking  upon  Him  the 
guilt  of  others  in  order  to  answer  at  the  bar  of  justice  for 
them.  He  freely  became  the  representative  and  surety 
of  the  elect.  Hence  the  unsheathing  of  the  sword  of  jus- 


144  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

tice  against  Him  and  the  consequent  unutterable  an- 
guish of  His  soul.     2  Cor.  5:21;  Is.  53:4,  5;  Zech.  13:7. 

Q.  26.  In  what  respect  was  Christ,  when  on  the 
cross,  forsaken  by  His  Father? 

A.  In  being  judicially  deprived  of  a  sense  of  His 
Father's  love  to  Him  and  filled,  moreover,  with  a  sense 
of  His  anger  against  Him  as  the  representative  of  sin- 
ners. 

Q.  27.  Did  not  the  very  holiness  of  the  Saviour  in- 
tensify His  mental  distress  in  such  circumstances? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  28.  Mention  a  sixth  element  of  Christ's  humilia- 
tion. 

A,  His  death,  and  that  by  crucifixion.  Gal.  3:13; 
Phil.  2:8. 

Q.  29.     Was  it  humiliating  to  Christ  to  die? 

A.  Yes.  That  the  Lord  of  glory  and  Prince  of  life 
should  become  a  captive  of  death  was  surely  a  depth  of 
abasement.  Death,  for  a  time,  had  dominion  over  Him. 
Rom.  6:9.  He  was  thus  exhibited  to  the  universe  as 
one  in  some  way  chargeable  with  sin ;  for  "the  wages  of 
sin  is  death."    Rom.  6:23. 

Q.  30.  Was  there  an  element  of  humiliation  in  the 
very  mode  of  Christ's  death? 

A.  Yes.  He  died  by  crucifixion,  a  form  of  death 
most  painful  and  most  shameful,  reserved  for  slaves  and 
the  most  atrocious  criminals.  God  Himself  had  branded 
it  as  peculiarly  infamous,  saying  by  Moses,  "he  that  is 
hanged  is  accursed  of  God."  Deut.  21 123;  or,  as  the  sen- 
timent is  expressed  by  Paul,  "cursed  is  every  one  that 
hangeth  on  a  tree,"  or  on  wood.     Gal.  3:13. 

Q.  31.  What  evidence  is  there  that  Christ  really 
died? 

A.  a.  He  Himself  definitely  predicted  His  own 
death.  See  Matt.  16:21;  20:18,  19,  28; 
Luke  9:22;  Jno.  10:11;  12:32,  33; 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  145 

b.  The  sacred  historians  expressly  declare  that 

He  died.  Matt.  27:50;  Mark  15:37;  Luke 
23:46;  Jno.  19:30; 

c.  The    Roman    soldiers,    presumably    familiar 

with  the  signs  of  death,  looking  at  Him, 
saw  that  He  was  dead.    Jno.  19:33; 

d.  Even    had    He    not  previously    expired,    He 

must  have  died  from  the  spear-thrust  of 
one  of  the  soldiers.    Jno.  19 :34. 

Q.  32.  Specify  a  seventh  item  of  Christ's  humilia- 
tion. 

A.  His  interment  and  continuance  for  a  time  as  a 
prisoner  of  death. 

Q.  33.  Was  the  burial  of  Christ  a  part  of  His  aton- 
ing work? 

A.  In  a  certain  sense  it  was.  He  foreknew  His 
burial  and  consented  to  it,  and  so  bore  by  anticipation 
the  humiliation  of  imprisonment  in  the  grave.  Is.  53:9; 
Matt.  16:21;  Mark  8:31;  9:31;  10:34;  14:8;  Luke  9:22, 
31;  Acts  10:39-41;  13:29,  30.  His  suffering,  both  mental 
and  bodily,  ended  with  His  death.    Jno.  19:30. 

Q.  34.  Whither  did  the  soul  of  Christ  go  at  His 
death? 

A.     To  Paradise.     Luke  23 :43. 

Q.  35.     Is  "Paradise"  equivalent  to  heaven? 

A.     Yes.    So  we  infer  from  2  Cor.  12:3;  Rev.  2:7. 

Q.  36.     What  was  the  original  import  of  this  word? 

A.  The  word  is  of  Persian  origin,  and  primarily 
signified  a  park  kept  for  the  pleasure  of  kings.  In  the 
Greek  translation  of  the  Old  Testament  it  is  used  to  de- 
note the  garden  of  Eden.  Thus  readily  it  came  to  sig- 
nify heaven,  a  place  of  delights. 

Q.  37.  Is  this  entrance  of  the  soul  of  Christ  into 
heaven  (or  Paradise)  to  be  regarded  as  His  ascension? 

A.  No.  His  ascension  took  place  when  His  entire 
manhood,  inclusive  of  His  body  and  soul,  was  received 
up  into  glory.    Jno,  20:17;  Acts  1:2,  9-1 1,  22. 


146  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO   MEMORY. 

Gal.  4:4,  5;  2  Cor.  8:9;  Phil.  2:6-8;  Gal.  3:13;  Zech. 
13:7;  Rom.  6:23. 


QUESTION  XXVIII. 
Wherein  consisteth  Christ's  exaltation? 

ANSWER. 

Christ's  exaltation  consisteth  in  His  rising 
again  from  the  dead  on  the  third  day,  in  ascend- 
ing up  into  heaven,  in  sitting  at  the  right  hand 
of  God  the  Father,  and  in  coming  to  judge  the 
world  at  the  last  day. 

Q.  I.     Mention  the  items  embraced  in  the  exaltation 
of  Christ. 

A.    a.  His  resurrection  from  the  dead; 

b.  His  ascension  to  heaven; 

c.  His  reception  to  the  seat  of  honor  in  heaven; 

d.  His  appointment  to  judge  the  world  at  the 

last  day. 
Q.  2.     What  evidence  is  there  that  Christ  rose  from 
the  dead? 

A.     This  is  asserted  distinctly  and  repeatedly  in  the 
New  Testament. 

Q.   3.     Present   a   few  particulars  of   the   evidence 
available. 

A.  a.  It  is  stated  definitely  in  the  gospel  narratives 
that  Jesus  was,  after  dying  on  the  cross, 
laid  in  the  rock-hewn  tomb  of  Joseph. 
Matt.  27:60;  Mark  15:46,  47;  Luke  23: 
53;  Jno.  19:41,42; 
&,  It  is  no  less  clearly  intimated  that  to  the  as- 
tonishment and  distress  of  His  followers 
the  body  thus  deposited  was  on  the  third 
day  after  the  interment  no  longer  to  be 
found  in  the  sepulchre; 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  147 

c.  To  individuals  and  to  companies  of  His  dis- 

ciples Jesus  afterwards  appeared  in  bodily 
form,  speaking  to  them,  giving  them  di- 
rections how  to  act,  eating  in  their  pres- 
ence, and,  in  the  case  of  Thomas,  saying 
"Reach  hither  thy  finger  and  behold  My 
hands;  and  reach  hither  thy  hand,  and 
thrust  it  into  My  side,  and  be  not  faith- 
less, but  believing."    Jno.  20:27; 

d.  His   disciples,   so  far  from   being   credulous, 

seem  to  have  been  amazingly  slow  to  be- 
lieve the  fact  of  His  resurrection ; 

e.  Forty  days  after  His  alleged  resurrection,  a 

large  company  beheld  Jesus  ascend  from 
the  Mount  of  Olives  heavenward,  beyond 
their  vision.    Acts  i  :4,  9;  Luke  24:51 ; 

f.  Thereafter,  and  particularly  from  the  day  of 

Pentecost,  ten  days  afterward,  the  disci- 
ples, who  were  no  hysterical  visionaries, 
but  sober-minded  men,  who,  moreover, 
had  no  temporal  advantage  to  gain,  but 
every  thing  of  that  kind  to  lose  by  their 
testimony,  witnessed  boldly  to  the  resur- 
rection of  their  Master; 

g.  The  conversion  and  subsequent  career  of  Saul 

of  Tarsus  lend  powerful  corroboration  to 
the  fact  of  the  resurrection  of  the  cruci- 
fied Jesus. 
Q.  4.     How  long  did  Jesus  lie  in  the  tomb? 
A.     From  a  late  hour  in  the  afternoon  of  the  sixth 
day  till  the  morning  of  the  first  day  of  the  Jewish  week. 
The  only  complete  day  which  came  between  His  burial 
and  His  resurrection  was  the  Sabbath,  or  seventh  day  of 
the  Jewish  week.    Luke  23:54-56;  24:1-3. 

Q.  5.  Did  not  Christ  intimate  that  He  should  be 
three  days  and  three  nights  in  the  heart  of  the  earth,  that 
is,  the  grave? 

A.     Yes.    See  Matt.  12:40. 


148  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  6.  How  can  these  seemingly  conflicting  repre- 
sentations be  harmonized? 

A.  On  the  principle  that,  according  to  the  loose 
Jewish  method  of  reckoning  time,  a  part  of  a  day  was 
called  a  day.  In  Matt.  27:63,  64  we  have  a  sample  of 
this  flexible  method  of  computation.  There  it  is  related 
that  the  leaders  of  the  Jews  solicited  Pilate  to  set  a  guard 
to  watch  the  tomb  of  Christ  "until  the  third  day,"  be- 
cause Christ  had  said,  "After  three  days  I  will  rise 
again."  They  evidently  understood  the  expression  "after 
three  days"  to  mean  in  the  third  day,  or  within  three 
days. 

Q.  7.  By  whose  power  was  the  resurrection  of  our 
Lord  effected? 

A.  His  resurrection  may  be  ascribed  to  each  person 
of  the  Godhead.  To  the  Father,  as  representing  the 
claims  of  justice  and  law,  it  pertained  to  authorize  the  re- 
lease of  the  august  prisoner.  To  the  Son,  as  thus  au- 
thorized, it  belonged  to  exert  His  own  power  in  reclaim- 
ing His  humanity  from  the  dominion  of  death.  To  the 
Holy  Spirit  it  fell  to  achieve  the  actual,  vital  reunion  of 
the  soul  and  body  which  had  been  temporarily  sundered. 
Eph.  1:20;  Phil.  2:9;  Jno.  2:19;  10:18;  Rom.  4:24;  8:11. 

Q.  8.  Was  the  resurrection  of  Christ  a  part  of  His 
atoning  work? 

A.  That  work  ended  with  His  death.  Jno.  19:30;  i 
Cor.  15:3. 

Q.  9.  How  then  explain  the  statement  in  Rom.  4: 
25,  that  Christ  "was  raised  again  for  our  justification"? 

A.  The  import  of  this  is  that  in  His  resurrection 
Christ  was  declared  as  surety  to  have  met  successfully  in 
His  people's  behalf  all  the  demands  of  justice  and  law. 
His  resurrection  was  His  justification  and  the  pledge  of 
their  justification  in  due  time.     Is.  50:8;  Rom.  6:6-9. 

Q.  10.  What  is  the  second  item  of  the  exaltation  of 
Christ? 

A.     His  ascension  to  heaven. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  149 

Q.  1 1 .  What  time  elapsed  between  His  resurrection 
and  His  ascension? 

A.     Forty  days.    Acts  i  :3. 

Q.  12.  State  some  of  the  circumstances  o£  His  as- 
cension. 

A.  Having  led  His  apostles  out  from  Jerusalem  to 
the  neighborhood  of  Bethany,  He  was,  while  in  the  act 
of  blessing  them,  parted  from  them  and  borne  upward 
out  of  sight.    Luke  24:50,  51 ;  Acts  1 19;  i  Tim.  3:16. 

Q.  13.  Where  is  the  heaven  to  which  Christ  as- 
cended? 

A.  We  know  not.  It  is  a  place ;  for  the  body  of  our 
Lord  entered  it.  It  is  some  place  where  God  in  a  special 
manner  reveals  His  glory,  called  therefore  the  "house  of 
God."    Ps.  2T,:6;  Jno.  14:2,  3. 

Q.  14.  Can  it  properly  be  said  that  the  Divine  na- 
ture of  Christ  ascended  to  heaven? 

A.  No.  His  Divine  nature  is  always  everywhere. 
I  Kings  8:27;  Ps.  1397-10;  Jer.  23:23,  24. 

Q.  15.  How  then  could  it  be  said  that  Christ  as- 
cended to  heaven? 

A.  His  human  nature  alone  ascended;  but,  because 
of  the  union  between  the  two  natures  of  Christ,  what  is 
true  of  either  nature  may  be  affirmed  of  the  entire  per- 
son. 

Q.  16.  Is  there  not  some  resemblance  to  this  in  our 
constitution? 

A.  Yes.  We  may  ascribe  to  the  whole  man  what  is 
true  only  of  the  body,  or  of  the  soul.  Thus  we  say  a 
man  is  tall,  meaning  only  his  body;  or  that  he  is  wise, 
meaning  only  his  soul. 

Q.  17.  State  the  third  stage  in  the  exaltation  of 
Christ. 

A.     His  sitting  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  the  Father. 

Q.  18.     Is  not  this  a  figurative  representation? 

A.  Plainly  so ;  for  God  is  a  spirit  and  has  no  bodily 
parts. 


150  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  19.  What  is  the  import  of  this  posture  and  posi- 
tion ascribed  to  Christ? 

A.     a.  The  sitting  is  indicative  of  rest  after  toil.  The 
labor  of  making  atonement  is  thus  shown 
to  be  over.    Heb.  10:12. 
h.  The  sitting  at  the  "right  hand"  of  God  de- 
notes the  position  of  dignity  which  Christ, 
as  Mediator,  occupies.  A  seat  on  the  right 
hand  was,  and  is,  accounted  that  of  spe- 
cial honor,     i  Kings  2:19.     Hence  when 
Christ  ascended  in  triumph,  He  is  said  to 
have  been  set  on  the  Father's  right  hand. 
Eph.    1:20-22;  Phil.  2:9;  Heb.   1:3;  8:1; 
10:12;  12:2. 
Q.  20.     Why  are  the  words,  "the  Father,"  inserted 
in  the  answer? 

A.     a.  To  guard  against  the  incongruous  conception 
of  the  Saviour's  sitting  at  His  own  right 
hand,  for  He  is  God; 
h.  To  indicate  that  as  to  the  First  person  it  be- 
longed officially  to  send  the  Son  on  His 
mission  of  mercy,  so  also  it  pertained  to 
Him  to  receive  Him  suitably  at  its  close. 
Q.  21.     What  comfort  may  the  thought  of  Christ's 
sitting  at  the  right  hand  of  the  Father  afford  to  a  Chris- 
tian. 

A.  It  may  give  him  courage  to  meet  difficulties  and 
dangers  and  assure  him  of  final  victory.  Heb.  12:1,  2; 
2  Tim.  1:12, 

Q.  22.     What  inference  have  Lutherans  drawn  from 
the  Redeemer's  sitting  at  the  right  hand  of  the  Father? 
A.     That  the  human  nature  of  Christ  is  omnipres- 
ent, the  right  hand  of  God  being  everywhere. 

Q.  23.  What  interest  have  they  in  proving  the 
ubiquity  of  Christ's  humanity? 

A.  They  seek  thus  to  find  support  for  their  doc- 
trine of  Consubstantiation,  which  is  that  the  body  of 
Christ  is  literally  present  in  the  bread  and  wine  of  the 
Lord's  Supper. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  151 

Q.  24.     Point  out  the  fallacy  o£  this  plea. 

A.  God  has  no  right  hand  in  a  literal  sense.  To 
"sit  at  the  right  hand  of  God"  is  a  figurative  expression 
used  to  denote  a  position  of  the  highest  honor  Godward. 

Q.  25.  What  is  the  fourth  step,  or  item,  of  the  ex- 
altation of  Christ? 

A.  "His  coming  to  judge  the  world  at  the  last 
day." 

Q.  26.     Prove  that  there  shall  be  a  general  judgment. 

A.  It  is  an  event  clearly  foretold  in  Scripture.  See 
Gen.  18:25;  Ps.  75:7,  8;  96:13;  98:9;  Eccl.  3:17;  8:12,  13; 
12:14;  Matt.  11:22,  24;  12:36,  41,  42;  25:31-46;  Jno.  12: 
48;  Acts  17:31 ;  Rom.  2:16;  14:10;  2  Cor.  5:10;  2  Pet.  2: 
9;  3:7;  Rev.  20:12. 

Q.  27.  What  purpose  may  this  procedure  be  meant 
to  serve? 

A.  It  may  be  intended  to  be  a  public  vindication 
of  God's  ways  of  dealing  with  His  creatures. 

Q.  28.     Who  shall  be  the  subjects  of  this  judgment? 

A.  All  human  beings  and,  perhaps,  all  angels,  at 
least  all  fallen  angels.  Ps.  50:3-6;  Acts  17:31;  Rom.  2: 
5-9,  16;  14:10-12;  I  Cor.  6:3;  2  Pet.  2:9;  3:7;  Jude  v.  6; 
Rev.  20:22. 

Q.  29.  What  shall  be  the  rule,  or  standard,  of  judg- 
ment? 

A.     The  law  of  God.    Rom.  2:12-16. 

Q.  30.  Shall  this  judgment  extend  to  the  thoughts, 
motives,  and  moral  state  of  the  heart,  as  well  as  to  the 
outward  conduct? 

•    A.     Yes.     Eccl.  11:9;  12:14;  Prov.  15:26;  Acts  8: 
22;  Rom.  2:16;  2  Cor.  5:10. 

Q.  31.  Shall  any  be  condemned  on  the  ground  of 
non-election? 

A.  No.  Election  is  the  act  of  God,  not  of  the  crea- 
ture. 

Q.  32.  What  shall  be  the  ground  of  condemnation 
in  any  case? 


152  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.  Sin,  justly  charged.  Gen.  4:7;  Rom,  6:23;  2:6- 
12. 

Q.  33.  Shall  any  but  human  beings  receive  acquittal 
on  this  day? 

A.  No.  The  fallen  angels  are  reserved  for  punish- 
ment.   Matt.  25  :4i ;  2  Pet.  2:4;  Jude  v.  6. 

Q.  34.  What  shall  be  the  ground  of  acquittal  in  the 
case  of  any  human  being? 

A.  The  righteousness  of  Christ  imputed.  Rom.  10: 
3,  4 ;  I  Cor.  1 :30 ;  2  Cor.  5 :2i ;  Phil.  3  -.g. 

Q.  35.  With  what  intent  shall  the  good  deeds  of 
the  righteous  be  noticed  in  the  judgment? 

A.  Partly  as  evidence  that  those  who  so  acted  were 
in  saving  union  with  Christ;  and  partly  as  evidence  of 
the  purifying  and  ennobling  power  of  His  grace ;  but  not 
at  all  as  a  meritorious  ground  of  salvation.  Rom.  4:2-6; 
3:20-22;  10:4;  Phil.  3:9;  Matt.  7:21. 

Q.  36,  For  what  end  shall  the  evil  deeds  of  the 
wicked  be  adduced  in  evidence  at  the  last  day? 

A.  As  proof  of  their  wickedness  and  as  ground  of 
just  condemnation.    Matt.  12:33-37;  Rom.  6:23. 

Q.  37.  Shall  the  sins  of  the  saints  be  brought  under 
review  at  the  general  judgment? 

A.  On  this  point,  which,  happily,  is  not  of  very 
great  moment,  orthodox  theologians  differ. 

a.  Some  say  "No,"  arguing  that  in  justifying  a 

sinner  God  blots  out  all  his  sins  and  re- 
members them  no  more  against  him.  Is. 
43:25;  Rom.  8:33;  Heb.  8:12.  On  the 
same  side  it  is  urged  that  God  would  not 
expose  His  people  to  needless  reproach 
before  the  universe. 

b.  Others  say  "Yes."    This  is  the  side  favored  in 

the  Westminster  Confession,  wherein  oc- 
cur these  words :  "In  which  day"  (mean- 
ing the  last  day)  "not  only  the  apostate 
angels  shall  be  judged,  but  likewise  all 
persons  that  have  lived  upon  earth  shall 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  153 

appear  before  the  tribunal  of  Christ  to 
give  an  account  of  their  thoughts,  words, 
and  deeds."  (See  Conf.,  Ch.  XXXIIL 
Sec.   I.) 

Q.  38.  Present  some  considerations  in  support  of 
this  latter  view. 

A.  a.  So  commingled  are  the  righteous  with  the 
wicked  in  this  world  that  the  sins  of  the 
former  can  hardly  be  disentangled  from 
those  of  the  latter; 

b.  If  the  good  deeds  of  the  righteous  shall  be 

noticed,  as  we  are  taught  that  they  shall, 
the  imperfection  of  these  must  come  into 
view; 

c.  In  order  that  the  wealth  of  God's  grace  may 

be  displayed,  the  sins  of  the  saved  must 
be  taken  into  account; 

d.  The  saints  will  gladly  consent  that  their  sins 

be  unfolded  to  the  world,  if  thereby  the 
riches  of  Divine  grace  may  be  revealed  to 
the  universe,     i  Tim.  1:12-16; 

e.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  God  has  exhibited  in  His 

Word  to  all  who  read  it  many  of  the  sins 
of  His  people; 
/.  Many  direct  statements  of  Scripture  seem  to 
sustain  this  view.     See  Eccl.  12:14;  Matt. 
12:36;  Luke  8:17;   12:2,  3;  Rom.   14:10- 
12;  I  Cor.  4:5;  Rev.  20:12,  13. 
Q.  39.     Who  shall  be  the  judge  on  this  august  occa- 
sion? 

A.     God,  in  the  person  of  the  Mediator.  Jno.  5  :22, 
2y;  Acts  17:31;  Rom.  14:10;  Matt.  25:31-46;  2  Cor.  5:10. 
Q.  40.     In  what  respects  does  it  seem  fitting  that 
Christ  should  be  the  judge? 

A.  a.  He  is  possessed  of  the  qualities  requisite  for 
such  a  position,  namely,  infinite  knowl- 
edge and  absolute  rectitude; 


154  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

b.  It  is  meet  that  He  Who,  for  the  sake  of  sin- 

ners, endured  reproach  and  stood  as  a 
criminal  before  His  creatures  to  be  con- 
demned, should  have  this  honor  conferred 
upon  Him.    Phil.  2:6-12;  Heb.  12:2; 

c.  In  view  of  the  love  shown  by  Him  to  men,  His 

sentence  of  condemnation  shall  have  the 
greater  weight. 
Q.  41.     Shall  the  redeemed  have  any  part  in  the  func- 
tion of  judging? 

A.     a.  It  would  seem  that  the  saved  ones  shall  in  the 
day  of  judgment  be  first  recognized  and 
acquitted,  and  then  received  to  seats  of 
honor  with  Christ  Himself,    Rev.  3  :2i ; 
b.  Then,  perhaps,  they  shall  join  with  Him  in 
passing  sentence  on  the   impenitent  and 
lost.     I  Cor.  6:2,  3. 
Q.  42.     Is  it  necessary  to  believe  that  the  day  of  judg- 
ment shall  be  merely  a  period  of  24  hours? 

A.  No.  The  word  "day"  is  often  used  in  Scripture 
to  denote  a  season,  or  an  indefinite  period,  and  probably 
is  so  used  in  this  case.  Ps.  20  :i ;  50  :i5 ;  59  :i6 ;  77 :2 ;  Jer. 
51:2;  Ps.  110:3;  Ex.  32:34. 

Q.  43.     When  shall  this  day  be? 
A.     Immediately  after  the  resurrection  and  at  the  end 
of  the  world.     Jno.  5:28,  29;  6:40,  44;  11:24;  12:48;  2 
Pet.  3  :io. 

Q.  44.  Is  there  reason  to  believe  that  this  day, 
though  long  foretold,  shall  come  as  a  surprise  to  multi- 
tudes? 

A.  Yes.  Matt.  24:36-44,  50;  25:13;  i  Thess.  5:2;  2 
Pet.  3:10. 

Q.  45.  Is  there  warrant  for  the  belief  that  there 
shall  be  two  judgment  days,  one  before,  and  the  other 
after,  the  millennium? 

A.  No.  It  would  seem  that  the  judgment  shall  be  a 
continuous  transaction  pertaining  to  the  entire  race. 
Matt.  25:31-33;  Jno.  5:28,  29;  Acts  17:31;  24:15,  21. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  155 

Q.  46.  Is  the  view  just  expressed  favored  in  the 
Westminster  Standards  ? 

A.  Yes.  See  Confession  of  Faith:  Ch.  VIII.  Sec.  4; 
Ch.  XXXIII.  Sec.  I ;  Larger  Catechism:  Questions  87,  88. 

Q.  47.  Ought  not  the  prospect  of  this  "great  day"  to 
fill  with  alarm  the  ungodly,  and  to  produce  in  the  godly 
both  holy  awe  and  triumphant  anticipation  ? 

A.  Yes.  Rom.  2:5,  6;  Eccl.  12:14;  Luke  12:35,  3^; 
2  Pet.  3:11. 

TEXTS  TO  BE   COMMITTED  TO   MEMORY. 

Rom,  I  :4;  Jno.  5  :28,  29;  Acts  17:31 ;  Col.  3  :i-4;  Heb. 
9 :24-26. 


QUESTION  XXIX. 

How  are  we  made  partakers  of  the  redemp- 
tion purchased  by  Christ? 

ANSWER. 

We  are  made  partakers  of  the  redemption 
purchased  by  Christ  by  the  effectual  application 
of  it  to  us  by  His  Holy  Spirit. 

Q.  I.     What  is  meant  by  the  word  "redemption"? 

A.  It  means  in  strict  usage  deliverance  from  bond- 
age, or  captivity,  by  payment  of  a  debt,  or  a  ransom. 

Q.  2.  In  what  respects  are  fallen  men  in  a  state  of 
bondage  and  captivity? 

A.  a.  They  are  in  the  grasp  of  Divine  justice,  which 
demands  satisfaction  for  their  violation  of 
law.  They  have  incurred  a  penalty  which 
must  be  met.  Gal.  3:10,  13; 
h.  The  law  of  God  under  which  they  exist  de- 
mands perfect  obedience ;  for  the  bearing 
of  the  penalty  is  not  equivalent  to  obedi- 
ence; 


156  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

c.  They  are,  as  a  punishment,  given  over  to  their 
own  evil  appetites  and  to  the  power  of 
Satan.  Rom.  i  :28-32 ;  Eph.  2 13  ;  Acts  26 : 
18. 

Q.  3.     In  what  two  respects  is  Christ  the  Redeemer? 

A.     He  redeems  by  price  and  by  power. 

Q.  4.  Which  of  these  is  the  more  fundamental  item 
of  redemption? 

A.  Redemption  by  price,  i  Cor.  6:20;  Heb.  9:12;  i 
Pet.  I  :i8,  19. 

Q.  5.  What  price  did  Christ  pay  for  the  redemption 
of  the  elect? 

A.  He  gave  Himself  in  obedience  unto  death.  Gal. 
3  :i3 ;  4  4,  5 ;  I  Tim.  2 :6 ;  Phil.  2 :8. 

Q.  6.  Is  His  payment  of  this  price  the  ground  of  His 
right  to  deliver  by  power? 

A.     Yes.     By  this  payment  He  secured   for  all   in 

whose  room  He  acted  a  full  salvation  from  sin  and  from 

all  its  penal  effects.     Matt,  i  :2i ;  Eph.  1:10;  i  Cor.  i  :30. 

Q.  7.     Can  we  in  our  own  strength  appropriate  to 

ourselves  this  redemption? 

A.  No.  We  are  spiritually  dead,  and,  so  far  from 
seeking  part  in  this  salvation,  we  will,  if  left  to  ourselves, 
obstinately  reject  it.  Rom.  8:7;  Jno.  5:40;  Col.  i  :i2,  13; 
Jno.  3:3,  5,  19,  20;  7:7. 

Q.  8.  Did  the  satisfaction  made  by  Christ  secure  for 
all  for  whom  it  was  made  the  desire  and  ability  to  receive 
full  salvation? 

A.  Yes.  He  gave  Himself  to  save  men,  not  merely 
to  procure  for  them  an  offer  of  salvation.  Matt.  1:21;  i 
Tim.  I  :i5. 

Q.  g.  Is  the  genuine  desire  to  share  in  the  redemp- 
tion provided  by  Christ  a  product  of  this  redemption? 

A.  Yes.  It  is  by  the  grace  of  God  reaching  us 
through  the  atoning  work  of  Christ  that  we  really  desire 
true  salvation.    Eph.  2 :8. 

Q.  ID.  Is  the  desire  to  be  saved  simply  from  pim- 
ishment  a  fruit  of  gospel  redemption  and  a  proof  of  piety? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  157 

A.  No.  This  desire  is  constitutional,  and  has  sur- 
vived the  fall.  It  survives  even  in  the  evil  spirits.  Matt. 
8:29;  Jas.  2:19. 

Q.  II.  Is  the  desire  to  be  freed  from  sin  natural  to 
man  as  fallen? 

A.     No.    Rom.  8:7;  Jno.  8:34,  42-45. 

Q.  12.  Why  is  the  word  "effectual"  used  in  the  an- 
swer? 

A.  To  suggest  that  there  is  an  outward  application 
which  may  be  ineffectual. 

Q.  13.  Is  there  in  a  loose  sense  an  application  of  re- 
demption made  in  the  gospel  offer  and  the  outward  means 
of  grace? 

A.  Yes.  Acts  13:38,  46,  47;  26:19,  20;  Rom.  10:10- 
12. 

Q.  14.  By  whose  agency  is  our  real  participation  in 
the  salvation  provided  by  Christ  effected? 

A.  By  that  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Jno.  3  :3,  5 ;  Rom.  8 : 
9,  13,  14;  Gal.  5:22,  23;  Ezek.  36:25-27;  Zech.  12:10. 

Q.  15.  Why  is  the  Holy  Spirit  called  "His,"  that  is, 
Christ's,  Spirit? 

A.  Because  in  the  Divine  method  of  salvation  the 
Spirit  is  sent,  or  given,  by  the  Son  as  well  as  by  the 
Father  for  our  sanctification.  Jno.  15:26;  16:7;  Acts  2: 
33- 

Q.  16.  Ought  not  all  who  enjoy  the  outward  means 
of  grace  to  be  concerned  to  have  with  these  the  quicken- 
ing power  of  the  Holy  Spirit? 

A.  Yes.  I  Cor.  2 114 ;  3  :6,  7 ;  12 :3  ;  2  Thess.  2  :i3 ;  i 
Pet.  i  122. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Matt.  1:21;  I  Cor.  1:30;  Acts  13:38;  Gal.  5:22,  23; 
Ezek.  36 :25-27 ;  Acts  2 :33 ;  Titus  3  :5,  6. 


158  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

QUESTION  XXX. 

How  doth  the  Spirit  apply  to  us  the  redemp- 
tion purchased  by  Christ? 

ANSWER. 

The  Spirit  applieth  to  us  the  redemption 
purchased  by  Christ  by  working  faith  in  us,  and 
thereby  uniting  us  to  Christ,  in  our  effectual 
calling. 

Q.  I.  What  is  meant  by  the  "application  of  redemp- 
tion"? 

A.  God's  method  of  putting  men  into  actual  posses- 
sion  and  enjoyment  of  the  blessings  procured  for  them  by 
the  atoning  work  of  Christ, 

Q.  2.  To  whom  does  it  peculiarly  belong  to  make 
this  application? 

A.  To  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  already  stated.  Jno.  3  :5 ; 
Tit.  3:5. 

Q.  3.  Is  there  a  subordinate  sense  in  which  a  man 
may  apply  this  redemption  to  himself  and  to  others? 

A.  Yes.  2  Cor.  7:1;  Phil.  2:12;  Matt.  28:19,  20;  2 
Cor.  5 :20. 

Q.  4.  Do  the  Father  and  the  Son  concur  with  the 
Holy  Spirit  in  this  process  of  application? 

A.  Yes.  In  all  acts  of  the  Deity  toward  the  universe 
all  the  Divine  persons  concur  and  co-operate,  while  one  of 
them  may  more  directly  and  officially  be  engaged.  Hence, 
while  the  Spirit  particularly  may  be  said  to  apply  redemp- 
tion, the  Father  also  does,  and  likewise  the  Son.  Jno.  6: 
44,  45;  17:17;  Rom.  8:30,  32;  Jno.  12:32;  Acts  5:31;  2 
Cor.  12:9. 

Q.  5.  What  are  the  chief  steps  in  the  process  of  ap- 
plication? 

A.  Calling,  justification,  adoption,  sanctification,  and 
glorification. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  159 

Q.  6.  Does  not  sanctification  in  its  widest  sense  in- 
clude at  least  effectual  calling? 

A.  Yes.  Effectual  calling  is  initial  sanctification; 
but,  for  sake  of  clearness,  it  is  customary  to  treat  it  as  a 
distinct  head  or  field  of  inquiry. 

Q,  7.  In  the  process  of  applying  redemption,  what 
is  the  most  fundamental,  or  central,  act  of  the  Spirit? 

A.  He  quickens,  or  vivifies,  the  soul,  and,  in  so  do- 
ing, produces  in  it  the  germ  of  faith  and  unites  it  to 
Christ. 

Q.  8.  What  is  the  process  styled  which  issues  in 
this  union? 

A.     Effectual  Calling. 

Q.  9.  State  the  nature  of  the  union  subsisting  be- 
tween Christ  and  those  who  are  effectually  called. 

A.  This  is  a  threefold  union,  namely,  a  federal,  a 
vital,  and  a  fiducial  union. 

Q.  10.  What  is  the  "federal,"  sometimes  called  "the 
legal,"  union  between  Christ  and  His  people? 

A.  It  is  the  union  prospectively  constituted  in  the 
covenant  of  grace  from  eternity  between  the  Son  of  God 
and  those  given  Him  to  be  redeemed.  Jno.  17:2,  6,  24; 
Eph.  1 :4;  Titus  i  :2. 

Q.  II.  What  is  the  vital  union  between  Christ  and 
His  people? 

A.  It  is  that  intimate  and  mysterious  relationship 
established  in  the  instant  of  regeneration,  when  the  Holy 
Spirit,  as  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  quickens  the  soul  thereto- 
fore dead  in  sin.  Jno.  15:1-8;  Rom.  8:1,  9-11.  There  is 
now  established  a  mutual  indwelling,  that  of  the  regener- 
ated in  Christ  and  of  Christ  in  them.    Jno.  14:17-20;  Col. 

3  =3,  4. 

Q.  12.  What  is  the  fiducial  union  between  Christ 
and  His  people? 

A.  This  denotes  the  clasping  of  Christ  in  the  exer- 
cise of  faith  by  the  soul  that  has  been  regenerated.  Jno. 
6:53-57;  Rom.  5:2;  Eph.  3:17-19;  Col.  2:6,  7;  i  Pet.  1:5. 


160  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  13.     What  results  from  this  threefold  union? 

A.     Communion   and  mutual   indwelling.     Jno.   14: 
23;  17:21,  22,  23,  26;  Eph.  5:29,  30;  Col.  2:19;  3:3. 

TEXTS  TO  BE   COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Jno.  15:1-8;  Rom.  8:9-11;  Eph.  3:17-19;  Eph.  5:29, 
30;  Col.  3:3. 


QUESTION  XXXI. 
What  is  effectual  calling? 

ANSWER. 

Effectual  calling  is  the  work  of  God's  Spirit, 
whereby,  convincing  us  of  our  sin  and  misery, 
enlightening  our  minds  in  the  knowledge  of 
Christ,  and  renewing  our  wills,  He  doth  persuade 
and  enable  us  to  embrace  Jesus  Christ  freely 
offered  to  us  in  the  gospel. 

Q.  I.  Is  there  any  call  addressed  by  God  to  sinners 
which  may  be  ineffectual? 

A.  Yes.  There  is  an  outward  call  addressed  by 
God  to  sinners  which  may  be  unheeded  and  even  spurn- 
ed. Prov.  1 :24-3o;  Matt.  11  :20-24;  Jno.  12:37-41,  48,  49; 
15 :22-25. 

Q.  2.     What  is  this  outward  call? 

A.  It  is  the  offer  made  by  God  to  sinners  of  Christ 
as  a  Saviour.  This  is  often  styled  "The  gospel  call." 

Q.  3.     To  whom  is  this  call  addressed? 

A.  To  men  as  sinners.  Prov.  8:4;  Is.  55:1-3;  Matt. 
11:28. 

Q.  4.     Through  what  channel  does  this  call  come? 

A.  Through  inspired  men  in  their  announcements, 
whether  by  mouth  or  pen.  Jno.  5 :39,  46;  20:31 ;  Acts  26: 
16-18. 

Q.  5.  Is  this  call  limited,  as  some  have  taught,  to 
"sensible"  sinners,  that  is,  persons  convicted  in  their 
consciences  of  sin? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  161 

A.  No.  It  is  meant  for  men  who  are  sinners, 
whether  or  not  they  are  alarmed,  or  conscience-stricken. 

Q.  6.  What  practical  evil  would  proceed  from  limit- 
ing the  gospel  call  to  such  as  duly  feel  their  need  of  it. 

A.  The  efifect  would  be  to  turn  the  thoughts  of 
those  addressed  rather  to  themselves  than  to  Christ,  and 
to  gender  doubt  instead  of  faith. 

Q.  7.  To  whom  particularly  is  due  the  honor  of 
having  contended  for  a  free,  unhampered  offer  of  salva- 
tion to  men  as  sinners? 

A.  To  Calvinists,  and  chiefly  to  those  in  the  Church 
of  Scotland  in  the  i8th  century  who  were  designated 
''Marrowmen,"  most  of  whom  withdrew,  or  "seceded," 
from  said  Church. 

Q.  8.     Whence  arose  the  designation  "Marrowmen"? 

A.  From  the  reprint  in  1718,  with  a  commendatory 
note  by  ministers  of  the  Church  of  Scotland,  of  a  book 
which  had  appeared  in  England  in  the  previous  century 
under  the  title  of  "The  Marrow  of  Modern  Divinity,"  in 
which  the  free  offer  of  salvation  to  sinners  of  mankind  is 
vigorously  inculcated. 

Q.  9.  Does  the  universal  offer  of  the  gospel  presup- 
pose as  its  basis  universal  atonement? 

A.  No.  But  it  implies  the  infinite  value  of  the 
atonement,  and  its  sufificiency  for  the  salvation  of  all  who 
believe  in  Christ. 

Q.  10.  Is  this  outward,  or  gospel,  call  ordinarily 
necessary  to  salvation? 

A.  Yes.  Prov.  29:18;  Mark  16:15,  16;  Rom.  10: 
14-17.;  I  Cor.  1 :2i. 

Q.  II.     What  are  the  exceptional  cases? 

A.  Infants  and  idiots,  or  persons  incapable  of  ra- 
tional action. 

Q.  12.  Is  there  in  Scripture  any  express  declaration 
that  all  who  die  in  infancy  are  saved? 

A.  No.  So  far  from  this,  there  is  no  explicit  declar- 
ation of  the  salvation  of  any  such  infant. 


162  AN"  EXPOSITION-  OF 

Q.  13.  On  what  then  do  those  who  dogmatically  as- 
sert the  salvation  of  all  who  die  in  infancy  depend? 

A.  On  inferential  arguments,  which,  however 
plausible,  are  not  entirely  conclusive. 

Q.  14.  Are  these  arguments  adequate  to  warrant 
the  hope,  though  not  the  complete  assurance,  of  the  sal- 
vation of  all  such  infants? 

A.     It  rather  seems  so. 

Q.  15.  Even  if  such  infant  salvation  is  a  fact,  is 
there  any  reason  discoverable  why  some  reticence  in  re- 
gard to  it  might  be  maintained  in  Scripture? 

A.  Yes.  Otherwise  fanatics  might  be  led  to  the 
crime  of  infanticide  in  order  to  insure  the  salvation  of  the 
little  ones. 

Q.  16.  Does  the  Westminster  Confession  either  de- 
clare or  deny  the  salvation  of  all  who  die  in  infancy? 

A.  Neither.  It  assumes  that  infants  dying  in  in- 
fancy may  be  of  the  number  of  the  elect,  and  may  be 
saved,  but  declares  that,  if  saved,  it  must,  in  their  case  as 
in  the  case  of  adults,  be  on  the  ground  of  Christ's  right- 
eousness and  by  the  sanctifying  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

Q.  17.  Is  there  special  ground  for  hope  in  relation 
to  the  dying  infants  of  believers? 

A.  Yes.  Believers,  like  Abraham,  are  in  covenant 
with  God ;  and  to  each  of  them,  as  to  him,  pertains  the 
promise:  "I  will  establish  My  covenant  between  Me  and 
thee  and  thy  seed  after  thee,  for  an  everlasting  covenant, 
to  be  a  God  unto  thee  and  to  thy  seed  after  thee."  Gen. 
17:7.  This  covenant  stands  unless  repudiated  by  the  be- 
liever's offspring.  But  an  infant  is  incapable  of  repudi- 
ating it. 

Q.  18.  Is  it  presumable  that  the  case  of  persons  de- 
void of  reason  should  rank  with  that  of  infants? 

A.  Yes ;  provided  that  the  idiocy,  or  insanity,  dates 
from  birth  or  infancy.  The  case  of  those  who,  after  years 
of  sanity,  are  stricken  with  insanity,  differs  from  that  of 
those  who  are  devoid  of  reason  from  birth,  or  from  help- 
less childhood. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  163 


Q.  19.     Do  the  Scriptures  authorize  the  opinion  that 
adult  heathen,  dying  without  the  gospel,  are  saved? 
A.     No. 

Q.  20.     Present  some  considerations  which  seem  to 
forbid  the  hope  of  salvation  in  the  case  supposed. 

A.  a.  Idolaters  are  denounced  in  Scripture  as  abom- 
inable to  God  and  exposed  to  His  curse. 
Ps.  977;  Is.  42:17;  44:9,  20;  Eph.  2:11, 
12;  Rev.  22:15. 
h.  The  heathen  are  unholy;  but  without  holi- 
ness no  man  shall  see  God.  Eph.  2:1,  2, 
II,  12;  4:17-19- 

c.  The  outward,  or  gospel,  call  is  necessary  to 

the  salvation  of  sane  adults.  Prov.  29: 
18;  Rom.  10:14-17;  I  Cor.  1:21;  i  Thess. 
2:16. 

d.  It    is    the    testimony   of   true    converts    from 

heathenism  that,  till  the  gospel  came  to 
them,  they  were  unholy  and  unsaved. 

e.  If  even  it  were  admitted,  as  some  hold,  that 

certain    heathen,    such    as    Socrates    and 
Plato,  might  be  saved  without  the  gospel 
revelation,  the  gloom  would  be  but  little 
removed. 
Q.  21.     Ought  not  the  thought  of  the  sad  condition 
and  prospects  of  the  heathen  to  stir  the  Church  to  quench- 
less ardor  in  mission  work? 
A.     Yes. 

Q.  22.     Why  is  effectual  calling  said  to  be  a  "work"? 
A.     Because  it  embraces  more  acts  than  one. 
Q.  23.     Name  the  two  ingredients  of  effectual  call- 
ing.    . 

A.     Regeneration  and  conversion. 
Q.  24.     What  clause  in  the  definition  indicates  most 
clearly  the  regenerating  act? 

A.     The  phrase  "renewing  our  wills." 
Q.  25.     How  is  conversion  described? 
A.     In  the  words,  "He  doth  persuade  and  enable  us 
to  embrace  Jesus  Christ." 


164  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  26,  In  current  speech  is  not  the  word  "conver- 
sion" often  used  to  include  regeneration,  as  well  as  the 
resulting  act  of  faith  in  Christ  which  is  more  properly 
conversion? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  27.  Who  is  the  immediate  author  of  effectual 
calling? 

A.  The  Holy  Spirit.  Jno.  3:5-8;  14:16,  17,  26;  16: 
8,  13,  14;  Rom.  8:5,  9;  2  Thess.  2:12. 

Q.  28.  What  are  the  various  operations  of  the 
Spirit  in  effectual  calling? 

A.  (a)  Conviction;  (b)  Illumination;  (c)  Re- 
newal of  the  will :  (d)  The  inciting  and  enabling  of  the 
soul  to  embrace  Christ  as  the  Saviour. 

Q.  29.  Is  the  "conviction"  produced  in  effectual  call- 
ing a  mere  intellectual  conviction? 

A.  No.  It  involves  not  only  an  apprehension  of 
facts,  but  also  a  state  of  feeling  corresponding  to  the 
facts. 

Q.  30.     To  what  facts  does  this  conviction  relate? 

A.  Our  sin  and  misery.  Luke  15:17;  Jer.  31:19; 
Acts  2:37;  2  Cor.  7:11. 

Q.  31.  In  what  point  particularly  is  enlightenment 
afforded  in  effectual  calling? 

A.  In  regard  to  Jesus  Christ  as  the  Saviour,  i  Cor. 
1:23,  24;  2:2;  Jno.  16:13,  14;  15:26;  Col.  1:27,  28. 

Q.  32.  What  views  of  Him  are  given  in  effectual 
calling? 

A.  His  excellence,  suitableness,  all-sufficiency,  and 
accessibility  as  a  Saviour.  Song  of  Sol.  5:9-16;  Jno.  6: 
68.  69;  Eph.  1:17,  18;  I  Jno.  5:11,  12. 

Q.  33.  What  is  the  decisive  act  of  the  Spirit  in  ef- 
fectual calling? 

A.  The  renovation  of  the  will.  Ps.  110:3;  Ezek. 
36:25-27;  Eph.  4:20-24. 

Q.  34.  In  what  sense  is  the  word  "will"  used  in  the 
Catechism? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  165 

A.  To  indicate  not  merely  the  faculty  of  volition, 
which  is  the  sense  now  commonly  attached  to  it,  but  also 
the  affections,  desires,  and  moral  tendencies  of  the  soul. 

Q.  35.  What,  then,  is  meant  by  the  "renewal"  of  the 
will? 

A.  The  production  of  a  holy  inclination,  or  the  giv- 
ing of  a  Godward  bent  to  our  moral  nature.  Rom.  7 :22 ; 
2  Cor.  5:17;  Eph.  5:8;  Col.  3:8-10. 

Q.  36.  May  there  be  much  knowledge  of  truth,  com- 
punction of  conscience,  and  outward  reformation,  or  con- 
formity to  law,  without  a  renewal  of  the  will? 

A.     Yes.    Matt.  7:21-23;  13:20,  21;  Acts  8:13,  21-23. 

Q.  37-     What  is  the  first  act  of  the  regenerated  soul? 

A.  Conversion,  or  turning  to  Christ  in  the  exercise 
©f  faith.  Acts  16:31;  Rom.  10:10,  11.  The  regenerated 
one  is  brought  into  a  believing  attitude. 

Q.  38.     Who  is  the  sole  agent  in  regeneration? 

A.  The  Holy  Spirit.  Ezek.  36:27;  Jno.  3:3-8;  i  Cor. 
12:3;  Eph.  2:18. 

Q.  39.     In  conversion  who  are  the  agents? 

A.  The  Holy  Spirit  and  the  regenerated  person. 
Ezek.  36:27;  Phil.  2:12,   13. 

Q.  40.  Which  of  these  leads  in  conversion  and  sub- 
sequent sanctification? 

A.  The  Holy  Spirit.  See  the  texts  just  indicated, 
and  also  Rom.  8:13,  14,  26,  27;  15:13. 

Q.  41.  Yet  does  the  soul  at  any  stage  in  the  entire 
process  of  sanctification  act  under  coercion? 

A.  No.  Ps.  110:3;  Hosea  11:4;  2  Cor.  3:17;  Phil. 
3  7-14.- 

Q.  42.  Is  the  offer  of  Christ  as  the  Saviour  made  to 
men  as  sinners,  and  that  without  any  condition  or  meri- 
torious qualification? 

A.  Yes.  Prov.  8:4;  Is.  55:1-3;  Matt.  11:28;  Acts 
16:31 ;  Rev.  22:17. 

Q.  43.  Who  then  have  a  warrant  to  claim  Christ  as 
Saviour? 


166  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.    a.  Only  sinners,     i  Tim.  i  :i5;  Matt,  i  :2i ;  9:13; 
18:11; 

b.  Only  sinners  of  the  human  race,  and  all  of 

them.     Prov.  8:4;  Heb.  2:14-16; 

c.  Only  such  sinners  before  death,  or  while  in 

this  world.    Prov.  14:32;  Jno.  8:24;  Heb. 
9 :27,  28. 

TEXTS  TO  BE   COMMITTED  TO   MEMORY. 

Rom.  10:14-17;  I  Thess.  2:16;  Phil.  3:8-11;  2  Cor. 
5:17;  Eph.  5:8;  Ezek.  36:27;  Rev.  22:17. 


QUESTION  XXXII. 


What  benefits  do  they  that  are  effectually 
called  partake  of  in  this  life? 

ANSWER. 

They  that  are  effectually  called  do  in  this 
life  partake  of  justification,  adoption,  sanctifica- 
tion,  and  the  several  benefits  which  in  this  life 
do  either  accompany  or  flow  from  them. 

Q.  I.  What  main  stages  are  traceable  in  the  be- 
stowal of  blessings  on  those  who  are  effectually  called? 

A.  Some  are  bestowed  before  death,  some  in  the 
instant  of  death,  and  some  at  the  resurrection. 

Q.  2.     Mention  those  which  precede  death. 

A.  Justification,  adoption,  and  a  measure  of  sancti- 
fication,  with  various  resulting  benefits. 

Q.  3.  In  the  instant  of  death  what  blessings  accrue 
to  those  who  have  been  effectually  called? 

A.  a.  Complete  deliverance  from  sin  and  conformity 
to  the  law  of  God; 

b.  The  entrance  of  the  soul  into  glory ; 

c.  The  resting  of  the  body  from  pain  and  toil 

and  in  union  with  Christ ; 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  167 

Q.  4.  Specify  the  blessings  which  await  the  effect- 
ually called  at  the  resurrection. 

A.  The  restoration  of  their  bodies  in  a  glorified 
form  from  the  power  of  the  grave,  their  open  recognition 
and  acquittal  in  the  totality  of  their  persons  by  the  Judge, 
and  their  reception  into  endless  glory. 

Q.  5.  Do  all  the  blessings  attainable  in  this  life  by 
those  who  are  effectually  called  come  at  once  to  them  on 
their  regeneration? 

A.     No;  some  come  at  once,  others  only  gradually. 

Q.  6.     What  benefits  are  immediately  enjoyed? 

A.     Justification  and  adoption. 

Q.  7.     In  the  order  of  time  do  these  accrue  in  the 
very  instant  of  regeneration,  or  effectual  calling? 
•     A.     Yes. 

Q.  8.  In  logical  order,  or  that  of  thought,  does  not 
effectual  calling  precede  justification  and  adoption? 

A.     Yes.     Eph,  2:8;  Jno.  1:12. 

Q.  9.  What  benefits  attainable  in  this  life  may  only 
gradually  be  enjoyed  by  those  who  are  effectually  called? 

A.     Growth  in  assurance,  love,  joy,  hope,  purity. 

Q.  10.  Is  not  the  germ  of  all  these  blessings  in- 
cluded in  effectual  calling? 

A.     Yes.     2  Pet.  1:5-7;  PI"!-  1:6. 

TEXTS  TO   BE   COMMITTED  TO   MEMORY. 

2  Pet.  1:5-7;  Pliil-  1-6;  Jno.  1:12;  Prov.  4:18;  Phil. 
3:12-14. 


QUESTION  XXXIII. 
What  is  justification? 

ANSWER. 


Justification  is  an  act  of  God's  free  grace 
wherein  He  pardoneth  all  our  sins  and  accepteth 
us  as  righteous  in  His  sight,  only  for  the  right- 
eousness of  Christ  imputed  to  us,  and  received 
by  faith  alone. 


168  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  I.     What  does  the  word  "just"  signify? 

A.  It  signifies  a  condition  of  conformity  to  the  re- 
quirements of  the  law  of  God. 

Q.  2.     What  does  the  word  "justify"  mean? 

A.  To  declare,  reckon,  or  prove  just,  that  is,  as  con- 
formable to  the  law  to  which  one  is  amenable. 

Q.  3.     Does  this  word  ever  signify  to  make  just? 

A.  Never.  To  make  just  is  to  sanctify,  not  to 
justify. 

Q.  4.  Adduce  some  texts  illustrative  of  the  meaning 
of  the  word  "justify." 

A.  See  Deut.  25:1,  where  direction  is  given  to  the 
judges  to  justify  the  righteous.  Here  the  word  cannot 
mean  to  make  the  righteous  just,  for  the  righteous  are 
already  just.  See  also  Job  27:5;  Ps.  51:4;  Prov.  17:15; 
Is.  5  :23. 

Q.  5.  What  word  is  the  direct  contrast  of  the  word 
"justify"? 

A.  The  word  "condemn."  See  Job.  9 :2o ;  Matt. 
12:37;  Rom.  5:18;  8:33,  34. 

Q.  6.  By  condemning  a  man  do  we  make  him 
guilty? 

A.  No ;  we  only  pronounce,  or  declare,  him  to  be 
guilty. 

Q.  7.  By  justifying  a  man  do  we  make  him  just,  or 
righteous? 

A.     No ;  we  only  declare  him  to  be  so. 

Q.  8.  Is  the  distinction  just  made  a  profitless  con- 
tention about  words? 

A.  No.  It  is  one  of  profound  doctrinal  and  prac- 
tical moment.  In  a  large  degree  Romish  error  grows  out 
of  a  misconception  as  to  the  import  of  the  word  "justi- 
fication." 

Q.  9.     Why  is  justification  described  as  an  act? 

A.  To  indicate  that  it  is  not  a  process,  but  some- 
thing done  at  once. 

Q.  10.      Give  proof  that  justification  is  an  act. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  169 

A.  a.  The  word  ''justify,"  as  already  shown,  means 
to  pronounce  or  declare  just;  and  this  is 
an  act ; 

b.  The  instant  in  which  a  man  first  lays  hold  of 

Christ  by  faith  he  passes  from  a  state  of 
condemnation  to  one  of  justification,  and, 
if  so,  justification  must  be  an  instantane- 
ous act.    Jno.  3  :36 ;  5  124 ;  Rom.  5:1; 

c.  Stages,  or  degrees,  of  justification    are    not 

spoken  of  in  Scripture. 

d.  We  are  not  urged  in  Scripture  to  grow   in 

justification. 

Q.  II.     Who  is  the  author  of  justification? 

A.     God,  particularly  the  Father.    Rom.  8  '.29,  30,  33. 

Q.  12.  Why  may  justification  be  described  as  an 
act  of  God's  free  grace  ? 

A.  Because  it  proceeds,  as  does  our  entire  salva- 
tion, from  the  sovereign,  unmerited  love  of  God.  Jno. 
3  :i6;  Eph.  2:5,  8. 

Q.  13.  Yet  does  God  justify  in  a  sovereign  ca- 
pacity? 

A.  No.  He  justifies  in  a  judicial  capacity,  that  is, 
on  good  legal  grounds.  In  other  words.  He  has  respect 
to  the  claims  of  justice,  or  acts  in  accordance  with  the 
rigorous  demands  of  justice  when  He  justifies.  Rom. 
3:26. 

Q.  14.  What  are  the  constituents,  or  elements,  of 
justification? 

A.     Pardon  and  acceptance. 

Q.  15.     How  do  these  differ  from  each  other? 

A'.  Pardon  means  forgiveness.  Acceptance  means 
the  recognition  of  one  as  having  positively  kept  the  law 
and  as  being  therefore  entitled  to  favor. 

Q.  16.     Prove  that  God  does  pardon  sins. 

A.  This  is  expressly  taught  in  Scripture.  Ex.  34 :6- 
9:  Ps.  32:2;  103:3:  Is.  43:25;  Rom.  3:25,  26. 

Q.  17.  Does  the  pardon  included  in  justification  ex- 
tend to  all  the  sins  of  the  person  justified? 


170  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.  Yes.  All  his  past  sins  are  forgiven,  and  it  is 
provided  that  sins  afterwards  committed  by  him  shall  not 
be  charged  to  him,  and  this  is  equivalent  to  a  forgive- 
ness. Is.  43:25;  Ps.  103:3,  12;  Is.  1:18;  Jno.  5:24;  Col. 
2:13;  Heb.  8:12. 

Q.  18.  Do  not  justified  persons  still  need,  while  in 
this  life,  to  seek  the  pardon  of  their  sins? 

A.  Yes.  Our  Lord  taught  us  to  pray,  "Forgive  us 
our  debts,"  and  saints  are  often  represented  in  Scripture 
as  suppliants  for  pardon.  Ps.  25  :ii,  18;  51  :i,  9;  130:3,  4; 
Neh.  1 :6-9. 

Q.  19.  How  may  the  pardon  bestowed  in  justifica- 
tion be  distinguished  from  that  bestowed  on  those  already 
justified? 

A.  The  former  may  be  styled  "judicial"  forgiveness 
and  the  latter  "fatherly"  forgiveness. 

Q.  20.  Wherein  do  these  tv/o  forms  of  pardon 
differ? 

A.  a.  In  judicial  pardon  all  of  our  sins  are  for- 
given ;  whereas  in  fatherly  pardon  only 
those  done  after  justification  are  consid- 
ered; 

b.  In  judicial  pardon,  the  proper  penalty  of  sin  is 

for  ever  removed.     By  fatherly  forgive- 
ness the  chastisement  incurred  by  the  child 
of  God  is  either  averted,  or  removed,  or 
'■  made  medicinal.     Heb.   12:10,  11; 

c.  Judicial   pardon   is   irrevocable   and,   if  so,   is 

never  repeated  in  the  case  of  the  same  per- 
son. Fatherly  forgiveness  is  needed  and 
may  be  received  often  by  the  same  person. 
Is.  43:25;  Heb.  12:6-8,  10,  11;  Ps.  119:67, 
71,  75- 

Q.  21.  Beside  pardon  what  is  embraced  in  justifi- 
cation ? 

A,    Acceptance. 

Q.  22.     What  is  meant  by  this  acceptance? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  171 

A.  The  reception  of  one  into  favor,  or  the  recogni- 
tion of  one  as  righteous  and  so  entitled  to  favor. 

Q.  23.  While  distinguishable  in  thought,  are  these 
two  elements  of  justification  inseparable  in  fact  ? 

A.  Yes.  So  far  as  sinners  are  concerned,  he  who 
is  pardoned  is  also  accepted,  and  he  who  is  accepted  is 
also  pardoned.    Rom.  5  :i ;  8 130 ;  Jno.  3 136 ;  5  124. 

Q.  24.  Why  are  the  words  "righteous  in  His  sight" 
used  in  the  answer  of  the  Catechism? 

A.  To  suggest  that  the  righteousness  which  counts 
for  justification  is  not  a  righteousness  in  us,  but  another 
righteousness  on  which  the  eye  of  God  rests,  or  to  which 
He  has  regard  when  He  justifies  us. 

Q.  25.    What  is  meant  by  righteousness? 

A.  Conformity  to  the  requirements  of  the  law  of 
God. 

Q.  26.  What  is  the  righteousness  which  forms  the 
ground  of  our  justification? 

A.  The  righteousness  of  Christ.  Is.  45:24,  25;  46: 
13;  53:11;  Jer.  23:5,  6;  Rom.  3:21-24;  5:19;  10:3,  4;  i 
Cor.  1 130. 

Q.  27.  What  is  meant  by  the  "righteousness  of 
Christ?" 

A.     a.  Not  His  eternal  holiness  as  God.     Had  this 
been  the  ground  of  our  justification,  the 
incarnation  and  obedience  of  the  Son  of 
God  would   not  have  been   requisite   for 
our  salvation ; 
b.  His  merit  both  in  bearing  the  penalty  due  to 
us  for  sin,  and  in  obeying  perfectly  the 
law  for  us ;  in  other  words,  His  "doing 
and  dying,"  or  His  obedience  unto  death. 
Matt.  3:15;  Rom.   10:4;  5:19;  Phil.  2:8; 
3 :9- 
Q.  28.     Was  it  necessary  that  our  Redeemer  should 
obey  the  law  in  its  covenant  form  for  us,  as  well  as  suffer 
the  punishment  due  for  our  sins? 


172  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.  Yes.  In  order  to  our  entrance  into  heaven,  we 
must  have  a  positive  righteousness ;  not  merely  exemp- 
tion from  condemnation,  but  also  a  title  to  the  favor  of 
God.     Matt.  19:17;  Rom.  5:19;  Gal.  3:10,  12. 

Q.  29.  Is  deliverance  from  the  law  in  its  covenant 
form  an  immediate  effect  of  justification? 

A.  Yes.  Christ  obeyed  the  law  in  that  aspect  for 
His  people.    Rom.  6:14;  7:4,  6;  Gal.  4:4,  5;  Rom.  5:19. 

Q.  30.  Is  deliverance  from  the  law  as  a  rule  of  life 
procured  by  Christ  for  His  people? 

A.  No.  To  suppose  this  would  be  to  assume  that 
to  disregard  the  law  of  God  is  a  privilege,  and  that  the 
Son  of  God  gave  Himself  to  procure  for  us  the  right  to 
do  wrong. 

Q.  31.  Yet  is  there  not  a  sense  in  which  the  believer 
is  delivered  from  the  law  as  a  rule  of  life  ? 

A.  Yes,  in  this  respect,  that  he  is,  in  virtue  of  the 
atonement,  exempt  from  the  punishment  which  his  viola- 
tions of  the  law  deserve. 

Q.  32.  May  not  believers  for  the  sins  which  they 
commit  after  their  conversion  and  justification  be  sub- 
jected to  severe  trials? 

A.     Yes.    Ps.  89:30-33;  Heb.  12:6-10. 

Q.  33.  Are  these  trials,  in  the  case  supposed,  penal- 
ties in  the  strict  sense  of  the  word? 

A.     No.     They  are  fatherly  chastisements. 

Q.  34.  Wherein  do  punishment  and  chastisement 
agree? 

A.     Both  involve  pain,  or  loss,  in  some  form. 

Q.  35.     Wherein  do  they  differ? 

A.  Punishment  is  pain  inflicted  for  the  satisfaction 
of  the  claims  of  justice;  whereas  chastisement  is  pain  in- 
flicted for  the  benefit  of  the  person,  or  party,  afflicted. 
These  are  the  primary  ends  of  punishment  and  affliction, 
while  in  both  cases  secondary  ends  may  be  subserved. 

Q,  36.  Are  justified  persons  exempted  from  punish- 
ment in  the  strict  sense  of  the  word? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  173 

A.  Yes.  Their  surety,  Christ,  bore  the  punishment 
due  to  them.  Rom.  5  :i9;  6:6;  8:i ;  Gal.  3  :i3;  Eph.  i  17; 
I  Pet.  2 :24 ;  Is.  53  -.4-6. 

Q.  37.  How  do  we  obtain  an  interest  in  the  right- 
eousness of  Christ? 

A.  This  righteousness  is  imputed  to  us  by  God. 
Rom.  4:5,  6,  II,  22-24. 

Q.  38.     What  is  meant  by  imputation? 

A.     A  reckoning  of  something  to  one's  account. 

Q.  39.  Give  an  illustration  of  the  import  of  this 
word. 

A.  Paul,  writing  to  Philemon  in  behalf  of  Onesi- 
mus,  says,  "If  he  hath  wronged  thee,  or  oweth  thee  aught, 
put  that  on  (or  to)  mine  account";  that  is,  impute,  or 
charge,  it  to  me,  and  I  will  answer  for  it.  See  Philem.  v. 
18. 

Q.  40.  What  does  God  do  when  He  imputes  to  us 
the  righteousness  of  Christ? 

A.  He  reckons  us  as  having  legally  done  and  suf- 
fered what  Christ  as  our  representative  actually  did  and 
suffered,  and  so  as  entitled  to  the  benefit  of  His  substitu- 
tionary work. 

Q.  41.  How  do  we  receive  this  imputed  righteous- 
ness? 

A.  By  faith ;  that  is  by  heartily  accepting  Christ  as 
the  offered  Saviour,  and  relying  on  Him  alone  for  sal- 
vation.   Jno.  3  :i6,  36;  6:35,  40,  47;  12:46;  Acts  16:31. 

Q.  42.  Is  our  faith  any  part  of  the  justifying  right- 
eousness? 

A.  No ;  no  more  than  the  hand,  or  mouth,  by  which 
we  take  food  is  a  part  of  the  food.  The  righteousness  on 
the  ground  of  which  we  are  justified  is  in  Christ.  By 
faith  we  appropriate  it  to  ourselves  according  to  the  gos- 
pel offer. 

Q.  43.  Is  not  this  very  faith  a  grace  procured  for  us 
by  the  righteousness  which  is  the  ground  of  our  justi- 
fication? 

A.     Yes.    Eph.  2:8;  Phil.  1 :29;  Gal.  5:22;  2  Pet.  I  :i. 


174  ^.V  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  44.  Is  faith,  and  no  other  grace,  the  instrument 
of  justification? 

A.  Yes.  Jno.  3:16;  1:12;  5:24;  Acts  16:31;  Eph. 
2:8. 

Q.  45.  Is  this  office  of  faith  a  mere  arbitrary  ap- 
pointment, which  might  as  well  have  been  assigned  to 
love,  or  joy,  or  some  other  affection? 

A.  No;  the  assignment  corresponds  to  our  nature 
and  need. 

Q.  46.  What  is  there  in  our  nature,  and  in  the  sal- 
vation which  we  need,  that  commends  faith  to  the  office 
it  holds? 

A.  Faith  is  reliance.  It  is  the  expression  of  a  sense 
of  dependence.  It  gives  in  this  case  the  glory  of  salvation 
to  God.     Rom.  4:6. 

Q.  47.  Do  not  other  gracious  affections,  such  as 
love,  hope,  repentance,  joy,  intertwine  or  blend  with  this 
faith? 

A.  Yes,  But  the  radical  grace  is  faith.  2  Pet.  i  :5- 
7;  Eph.  2:8. 

Q.  48.     Is  faith  a  condition  of  our  justification? 

A.  It  may  be  called  "a  sine  qua  non,"  or  a  condition 
of  connection,  but  not  a  condition  of  merit.  In  The 
Larger  Catechism  (Ques.  31)  it  is  said  to  be  "a  condition 
to  interest  us  in  Christ."  It  is  no  part  of  our  justifying 
righteousness,  but  it  serves  to  connect  us  with  that  right- 
eousness. 

Q.  49.  What  answer  may  be  given  to  the  objection 
that  the  doctrine  of  justification,  as  now  set  forth,  in- 
volves an  absurdity,  namely,  the  transfer  of  moral  char- 
acter? 

A.  The  assumption  is  false.  Our  doctrine  implies 
that  legal  responsibility,  not  moral  character,  is,  in  cer- 
tain circumstances,  transferable.  Imputation  is  not 
equivalent  to  infusion. 

Q.  50.  In  what  circumstances  may  transfer  of  legal 
responsibility  take  place? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  175 

A.    a.  If  the  lawgiver  having  supreme  jurisdiction 
consents  to  the  transfer; 

b.  If  the  substitute  has  the  right  of  self-disposal ; 

c.  If  the  transfer  does  not  cause  permanent  in- 

jury to  the  substitute; 

d.  If  in   the   transfer  no   injury   results   to   the 

community,  or  to  the  interests  of  morality. 

Q.  51.  Are  all  these  conditions  realized  in  the 
method  of  justification  for  which  we  contend? 

A.  Yes.  God,  the  supreme  lawgiver,  not  only  ad- 
mitted, but  even  provided,  a  substitute  for  sinners.  This 
substitute  possessed  the  sovereign  right  of  self-disposal, 
and  freely  offered  Himself  as  our  substitute.  He  could 
assume  this  burden  not  only  without  suffering  permanent 
injury,  but  even  to  His  own  glory  in  an  eminent  degree. 
By  the  transfer  the  interests  of  society  are  protected  and 
promoted;  for  those  justified  are  also  sanctified. 

Q.  52.  Is  the  teaching  in  the  Epistle  of  James, 
chapter  2d,  at  variance  with  our  doctrine? 

A.  It  is  complementary,  not  contradictory.  James 
treats  of  a  particular  aspect  of  justification,  namely,  justi- 
fication before  men.  He  teaches  that  a  faith  which  is 
justifying  is  a  faith  which  is  fruit-bearing,  the  fruit  being 
good  works.  According  to  him,  a  dead,  inoperative  faith 
is  not  a  justifying  faith.  But  in  exact  harmony  with  this 
is  the  statement  in  the  Westminister  Confession  which 
runs  thus,  "Faith,  thus  receiving  and  resting  on  Christ 
and  His  righteousness,  is  the  alone  instrument  of  justifi- 
cation; yet  it  is  not  alone  in  the  person  justified,  but  is 
ever  accompanied  with  all  other  saving  graces,  and  is  no 
de^d  faith,  but  worketh  by  love." 

Q.  53.  Is  the  objection  warranted  that  this  doctrine 
of  justification  is  unfavorable  to  morality? 

A.  No,  as  may  be  shown  in  the  following  particu- 
lars: 

a.  Holiness  may  be  of  great  value,  although  not 
the  ground  in  any  respect  of  our  justifica- 
tion ; 


176  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

b.  The  believer,  although  delivered  from  the  law 

in  its  covenant  form,  is  still  under  it  as  a 
rule  of  life,  and  even  under  deeper  obliga- 
tion to  observe  it,  because  of  deliverance 
from  it  as  a  covenant.    Rom.  12:1 ; 

c.  We  never  begin  to  keep  the  law  truly  till  we 

are  delivered  from  it  as  a  covenant.  Rom. 
6:14;  7:4,  6;  Gal.  2:19,  20; 

d.  The  same  objection  was    urged    against   the 

doctrine  of  justification  taught  by  Paul,  a 
presumptive  proof  that  his  doctrine  and 
ours  are  one.  Rom.  3:28,  31;  6:14,  15; 
7:6. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Jno.  2,:^6;  5:24.  Rom.  8:29,  30;  3:26;  Is.  1:18;  Heb. 
12:10,  II ;  Gal.  3:10,  12;  Acts  16:31 ;  Is.  53:4-6;  Phil,  i  :29; 
Rom.  6:14;  7:4-6. 


QUESTION  XXXIV. 
What  is  adoption? 

ANSWER. 


Adoption  is  an  act  of  God's  free  grace 
whereby  we  are  received  into  the  number,  and 
have  a  right  to  all  the  privileges,  of  the  sons  of 
God. 

Q.  I.     What  is  the  general  nature  of  adoption? 

A.  The  legal  establishment  of  the  parental  and  filial 
relation  between  persons  not  originally  so  related. 

Q.  2.     Why  is  this  called  an  act? 

A.  To  indicate  that  it  is  not  a  process,  but  simply  a 
change  of  legal  relation. 

Q.  3.     Why  is  it  called  an  act  of  God's  free  grace? 

A.  To  declare  that  it  is  the  fruit  of  sovereign  favor; 
that  is,  a  kindness  to  which  the  objects  of  it  were  not  en- 
titled.    Eph.  I  :5. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  177 

Q.  4.     What  is  the  particular  nature  of  this  act? 

A.  It  is  God's  assigning  to  persons,  previously 
aliens  and  enemies,  the  rank  of  sonship  in  relation  to 
Himself. 

Q.  5.  Is  not  this  legal  transfer  always  accompanied 
by  the  communication  of  a  filial  spirit  toward  God? 

A.     Yes.     Rom.  8:14,  15  ;  Gal.  3  :26;  4:6. 

Q.  6.  What  is  meant  by  the  "adoption"  spoken  of 
in  Rom.  g  14,  where  it  is  said  of  the  Israelites  that  to  them 
"pertaineth  the  adoption"? 

A.  This  signifies  the  state  of  special  religious  priv- 
ileges into  which  the  Israelites,  as  a  people,  were  brought ; 
a  national  adoption. 

Q.  7.  What  is  meant  by  the  "adoption  of  the  body" 
mentioned  in  Rom.  8:23? 

A.  That  transformation  which  the  bodies  of  the 
saints  shall  undergo  at  the  resurrection,  i  Cor.  15:43, 
44,  52-54- 

Q.  8.  Is  there  any  difference  between  adoption  and 
the  acceptance  which  is  involved  in  justification? 

A.  Acceptance  is  the  admission  of  one  to  a  secure 
standing  in  the  favor  of  God.  Adoption  is  the  definite 
assignment  of  such  a  one  to  the  rank  of  a  son  of  God. 
Jno.  I  :i2. 

Q.  9.     Does  adoption  presuppose  acceptance? 

A.  Yes.  One  adopted  must  previously  have  found 
favor  with  the  person  adopting  him. 

Q.  10.  Is  adoption,  as  some  think,  of  a  composite 
nature,  embracing  regeneration  and  acceptance? 

A.  No.  According  to  Roman  law,  adoption  was  a 
legal  transaction  presupposing  the  acceptance  of  the 
person  adopted,  but  including  no  change  of  his  nature. 

Q.  II.     Does  adoption  follow  regeneration? 

A.  Logically  it  does  (Jno.  i  :i2),  but  chronologically 
they  are  coincident.  By  regeneration  we  get  the  nature, 
by  adoption  we  obtain  the  legal  standing,  of  children  of 
God. 


178  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  12.     Who  are  the  objects  of  this  adoption? 

A.     a.  Only  human  beings.    Heb.  2:14,  16; 

b.  Only  and  all  human  beings  elected  to  salva- 

tion.   Eph,  1 :4,  5 ; 

c.  Only  and  all  such  as  are  redeemed  by  Christ. 

Gal.  4:4-6; 

d.  Only    and  all    such   as   are    justified   on    the 

ground  of  Christ's  merit.    Jno.  1:12;  Rom. 

5:1. 
Q.  13.    What  are  the  chief  privileges  of  adoption? 

A.     a.  Great  dignity,    i  Jno.  3:1,2. 

b.  Glorious  liberty.    Jno.  8:36;  Rom.  8:15,  21. 

c.  Abundant  provision.    Rom.  8:17. 

d.  Ample  protection.    Rom.  8:29-35;  i  Pet,  1:5. 

e.  Salutary     cprrection.      Ps.    89 :30-34 ;     Heb. 

12:1-12. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Jno.  1:12;  Eph.  1 :5;  Rom.  8:14,  15;  Gal.  3:26;  4:4-6; 
Heb.  2:14-16. 


QUESTION  XXXV. 
What  is  sanctification? 

ANSWER. 

Sanctification  is  the  work  of  God's  free 
grace  whereby  we  are  renewed  in  the  whole  man 
after  the  image  of  God  and  are  enabled  more  and 
more  to  die  unto  sin  and  live  unto  righteous- 
ness. 

Q.  I.     Why  is  sanctification  defined  as  a  work? 

A.  To  indicate  that,  unlike  justification  and  adop- 
tion, it  is  a  process  involving  a  series  of  acts. 

Q.  2.  Yet  may  not  sanctification  be  condensed  into 
an  instant? 

A.  Yes.  The  date  of  a  man's  death  may  be  that  of 
his  regeneration  and  of  his  preparation  for  heaven,  into 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  179 

which  nothing  that  is  impure  can  enter.    This,  however, 
is  not  the  ordinary  course,  so  far  as  adults  are  concerned. 

Q.  3.  Why  is  sanctification  described  as  "a  work  of 
God's  free  grace"? 

A.  To  express  the  fact  that  God  begins  and  com- 
pletes it  in  the  sovereign,  unmerited  exercise  of  His  good 
will.    Eph.  2:10;  Phil.  1 :6. 

Q.  4.  Yet  in  order  to  the  sanctification  of  any  one 
was  there  not  a  price  paid  by  the  Son  of  God  in  our  na- 
ture? 

A.     Yes.    Eph.  2:5,  7,  18,  20;  5:25,  26.    Tit.  2:14. 

Q.  5.  How,  then,  can  our  sanctification  be  ascribed 
to  the  free,  unmerited  grace  of  God? 

A.  God,  in  the  person  of  the  Son,  paid  the  full  price 
of  our  salvation,  of  which  sanctification  is  a  weighty  part. 

Q.  6.     Does  sanctification  include  effectual  calling? 

A.  When  used  in  its  widest  sense,  it  does ;  for  it 
then  means  the  entire  change  from  a  state  of  sin  to  a  state 
of  perfect  conformity  to  the  law  of  God. 

Q.  7.  But  in  the  question  now  dealt  with  is  the 
word  used  in  this  comprehensive  sense? 

A.  No.  It  seems  here  to  be  limited  to  mean  the 
growth  of  the  principle  of  spiritual  life  communicated  in 
regeneration. 

Q.  8.  What  forms  of  expression  have  been  used  to 
mark  the  distinction  now  indicated? 

A.  The  phrases  "habitual  sanctification"  and  "act- 
ual sanctification,"  the  former  signifying  the  germ  of 
spiritual  life  implanted  in  the  instant  of  regeneration,  the 
latter  denoting  the  development  of  this  germ  in  the  sub- 
sequent process  of  sanctification, 

Q.  9.  Which  of  these  meanings  does  the  word 
"sanctification"  bear  in  this  question? 

A.     The  latter,  namely,  actual  sanctification. 

Q.  10.     Why  should  this  be  counted  the  meaning? 

A.  Because  it  was  previously  stated  that  this  sancti- 
fication is  a  benefit  accruing  to  those  who  have  been  ef- 
fectually called,  that  is,  who  have  been  converted. 


180  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  II.  What  then  is  meant  by  "renewal  in  the 
whole  man,"  spoken  of  in  the  definition? 

A.  This  means  apparently  the  perpetuation  and  pro- 
motion of  that  state  of  vitality  into  which  one  effectually 
called  is  brought. 

Q.  12.  How  may  sanctification  in  the  germ  be 
designated? 

A.  As  initial  sanctification,  which  is  obtained  in  ef- 
fectual calling,  and  is  identical  with  "habitual"  sanctifica- 
tion. 

Q.  13.  How  may  the  subsequent  process  be  desig- 
nated? 

A.  As  progressive  sanctification,  which  is  identical 
with  actual  sanctification,  already  noticed. 

Q.  14.     What  is  the  model  of  our  sanctification? 

A.  The  image  of  God,  especially  as  that  is  embodied 
and  expressed  in  Jesus  Christ.  Eph.  4:24;  5:1,  2;  Col. 
3:10;  I  Pet.  2:21. 

Q.  15.  What  double  aspect  does  progressive  sanc- 
tification bear? 

A.  A  negative  and  a  positive,  mortification  and  vivi- 
fication,  a  ceasing  to  do  evil  and  a  learning  to  do  well. 

Q.  16.     Are  these  movements  simultaneous? 

A.  Yes,  in  point  of  time  ;  but  in  the  order  of  thought 
and  causation  vivification  precedes  and  produces  morti- 
fication. Spiritual  death  is  driven  out  by  spiritual  life, 
just  as  darkness  yields  to  light.    Rom,  7:24;  8:6,  13. 

Q.  17.  What  is  meant  by  the  expression  "dying 
unto  sin"? 

A.     Becoming  insensible  to  the  attractions  of  sin. 

Q.  18.  Is  this  the  import  of  the  expression,  when, 
in  Rom.  6:10,  it  is  said  of  Christ  that  "He  died  unto  sin 
once"? 

A.  No.  Sin  never  attracted  Christ;  but  in  dying  He 
bore  the  penalty  of  His  people's  sin  imputed  to  Him,  so 
that  this  sin  has  no  more  claim  on  Him,  or  on  them. 

Q.  19.     Does  the  believer  die  to  sin? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  181 

A,  Yes,  partly  in  his  justification  when  his  guilt  is 
cancelled,  and  partly  in  his  sanctification  when  he  be- 
comes less  susceptible  to  the  allurements  of  sin.  Gal. 
6:i6;  Col.  3:3,  5. 

Q.  20.  What  is  meant  by  "living  unto  righteous- 
ness"? 

A.     Leading  a  life  of  obedience  to  God. 

Q.  21.  In  what  respects  is  a  holy  act  conformed 
to  the  law  of  God  ? 

A.  As  to  matter,  manner,  and  motive.  The  act 
must  be  such  as  the  law  prescribes,  or  sanctions.  In  man- 
ner, it  must  be  harmonious  with  the  law.  The  motive 
prompting  to  it  must  be  such  as  the  law  approves.  An 
act,  right  in  itself,  may  be  vitiated  by  the  manner  in 
which  it  is  done,  or  by  the  motive  from  which  it  pro- 
ceeds. 

Q.  22.     Is  sanctification  essential  to  salvation? 

A.  Yes  and  no.  It  is  a  leading  part  of  salvation, 
and  so  is  essential  to  it;  but  it  is  not  essential  in  the  sense 
of  being  a  meritorious  ground  of  salvation.  Heb.  12:14; 
Eph.  2 :8,  9. 

Q.  23.  Is  the  sanctification  of  believers  completed 
before  death? 

A.  No.  I  Jno.  3  13.  It  is  completed  in  death.  Phil. 
1:23. 

Q.  24.  What  is  meant  by  these  phrases,  "merit  of 
congruity,"  "merit  of  condignity,"  and  "merit  of  super- 
erogation"? 

A.  According  to  Romish  theology  a  man  unregener- 
ate  ijiay  by  his  virtues  acquire  a  title  to  the  grace  of  re- 
generation. His  title  in  the  case  supposed  is  said  to  rest 
on  "merit  of  congruity." 

After  regeneration  a  man  may,  according  to  Romish 
teaching,  act  so  well  as  to  earn  a  reward.  In  this  case  he 
is  said  to  have  the  "merit  of  condignity." 

Still  further,  Romanists  claim  that  a  regenerated  man 
may  exceed  in  his  obedience  the  requirements  of  law,  and 


182  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

so  have  some  merit  to  spare  for  the  benefit  of  others. 
This  is  called  the  "merit  of  supererogation." 

Q.  25,  Do  not  the  Scriptures  teach  clearly  that  cer- 
tain acts,  or  lines  of  conduct,  shall  receive  from  God  re- 
ward? 

A.  Yes.  See  Matt,  10:41,  42;  19:28,  29;  Acts  10:4; 
Heb.  6:10. 

Q.  26.  Does  not  this  fact  lend  countenance  to  the 
Popish  doctrine  of  merit? 

A.     No:  for, 

a.  The  ability    and    disposition    to    do    what    is 

pleasing  to  God  are  a  fruit  of  His  saving 
grace ; 

b.  Our  holiest  service  is  imperfect,  and,  so  far 

from  laying  God  under  obligation  to  us, 
needs  forgiveness; 

c.  Hence  the  more  ^Ne  do  in  serving  Him,  the 

deeper  is  our  debt  to  Him,  i  Cor.  15:10; 
2  Cor.  3  :5  ;  I  Tim,  i  :i2-i4. 

Q.  27.     What  are  the  means  of  sanctification? 

A.  These  may  be  distinguished  into  two  classes, 
namely,  outward  means  and  inward  means. 

Q.  28.     What  are  the  outward  means? 

A.  Summarily  the  Scriptures,  both  as  exhibiting  the 
"truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,"  and  as  enjoining  certain  ordi- 
nances conducive  to  spiritual  edification.  Ps,  19:7;  Jno. 
17:17;  2  Tim.  3:16;  2  Thess.  2:13;  i  Pet.  2:2. 

Q.  29.  May  ordinary  providential  events  subserve 
the  same  ends? 

A.  Yes,  to  some  extent;  but  only  in  connection  with 
the  Word.    2  Cor.  12:7;  4:17,  18;  Heb.  12:6-11 ;  Jas.  i  :23. 

Q.  30.     What  is  the  inward  means  of  sanctification? 

A,  Faith  in  Jesus  Christ.  Luke  17:5;  22:32;  Jno. 
3  :i6 ;  Acts  15 :9 ;  Eph.  2 :8 ;  i  Pet.  1:5;!  Jno.  5 :4, 

Q.  31.  Point  out  some  distinctions  between  justifi- 
cation and  sanctification. 

A.  a.  Justification  is  an  act  completed  at  once  and 
not  repeated  in  the  case  of  the  same  per- 
son.   Sanctification  is  a  work  or  process; 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  183 

b.  Justification  involves  a  change  of  legal  stand- 

ing. Sanctification  produces  a  change  of 
nature ; 

c.  In  justification  righteousness  is  imputed.   In 

sanctification   righteousness   is   imparted; 

d.  Justification  is  equal  in  all.    Sanctification  dif- 

fers in  degree  in  different  persons,  and 
even  in  the  same  person  at  different  times ; 

e.  Justification  frees  from  the  guilt  of  sin.    Sanc- 

tification frees  from  the  power  and  pol- 
lution of  sin ; 

/.  In  justification  a  title  to  glory  is  bestowed. 
In  sanctification  a  meetness  for  glory  is 
imparted ; 

g.  In  justification  we  are  delivered  from  the  law 
as  a  broken  covenant.  In  sanctification 
we  are  made  conformable  to  the  law  as  a 
rule  of  life; 

h.  Justifying  righteousness  is  in  Christ  and  upon 
us.  Sanctification  is  from  Christ  and  in 
us. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Eph.  4:24;  Rom.  6:10;  7:24;  8:6,  13;  Gal.  6:16;  i  Jno. 
3:3;  I  Pet.  2:2;  I  Cor.  15:10;  2  Cor.  3:5. 


QUESTION  XXXVI. 

What  are  the  benefits  which  in  this  life  do 
accompany  or  flow  from  justification,  adoption, 
and  sanctification  ? 

ANSWER. 

The  benefits  which  in  this  life  do  accompany 
or  flow  from  justification,  adoption,  and  sanctifi- 
cation are  assurance  of  God's  love,  peace  of 
conscience,  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  increase  cf 
grace,  and  perseverance  therein  to  the  end. 


184  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  I.  How  may  the  blessings  which  attach  to  justi- 
fication, adoption,  and  sanctification  be  grouped? 

A.  Under  three  heads :  namely,  blessings  received 
in  this  life ;  blessings  received  at  death ;  and  blessings 
received  at  and  after  the  resurrection. 

Q.  2.  What  are  the  blessings  in  this  life  which  at- 
tach to  the  state  of  justification,  adoption,  and  sanctifica- 
tion? 

A.  These  are  five  in  number:  namely,  "assurance 
of  God's  love;  peace  of  conscience;  joy  in  the  Holy 
Ghost;  increase  of  grace;  and  perseverance  therein  to 
the  end." 

Q.  3.  Which  of  these  spring  from  the  fact,  and 
which  from  the  knowledge  of  the  fact,  of  our  justification, 
adoption,  and  sanctification? 

A.  a.  Increase  of  grace  and  perseverance  proceed 
from  the  fact  of  our  justification,  adoption, 
and  sanctification. 
b.  Assurance  of  God's  love,  peace  of  conscience, 
and  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost  proceed  from 
our  perception  that  we  are  justified,  adopt- 
ed, and,  in  a  measure,  sanctified. 

Q.  4.  Is  there  not,  however,  in  all  saving  faith  an 
element  of  assurance  as  to  God's  love  to  us? 

A.  Yes.  If  saving  faith  is  a  resting  on  Christ  for 
salvation,  it  must  involve  such  an  element, 

Q.  5.  Does  not  the  reflection  that  we  have  faith  in 
Christ  yield  to  us  an  additional  assurance? 

A.     Yes.    See  2  Tim.  1:12. 

Q.  6.  What  terms  have  been  used  to  signify  the  as- 
surance proceeding  from  these  two  sources  respectively? 

A.  The  "assurance  of  faith"  and  the  "assurance  of 
sense,"  or  feeling. 

Q.  7.  Do  all  true  believers  have  in  proportion  to  the 
strength  of  their  faith  an  assurance,  or  persuasion,  of  their 
acceptance  with  God? 

A.     Yes.     Heb.  11  :i  ;  i  Jno.  5:10. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  185 

Q.  8.     Do  all  believers  have  the  assurance  of  feeling? 

A.  No.  A  true  believer  may  at  times,  and  even  habit- 
ually, be  distressed  with  doubts  as  to  his  saving  interest 
in  Christ,  although  not  absolutely  despairing.  Job  2t^  13, 
9;  Is.  49:14;  50:10.  Even  Christ  Himself,  the  model  of 
believers,  was  for  a  time,  during  His  crucifixion,  destitute 
of  a  sense  of  His  Father's  love  to  Him.  Matt.  27:46; 
Mark  15:34. 

Q.  9.  Is  a  lawful  and  steady  assurance  of  our  ac- 
ceptance with  God  to  be  greatly  desired? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  10.     Why  is  it  so  desirable? 

A.     a.  For  the  comfort  which  it  3'ields; 

b.  For  the  courage  it  inspires  to  meet  sneers  and 

other  trials ; 

c.  For  the  influence  it  may  have  in  commending 

to  onlookers  the  religion  of  Christ. 

Q.  II.     What  is  conscience? 

A.  It  is  that  faculty,  or  power,  of  the  human  mind 
by  which  it  takes  cognizance  of  moral  right  and  wrong, 
and  feels  the  beauty  and  obligation  of  the  former  and  the 
odiousness  of  the  latter. 

Q.  12.     Is  it  the  standard  of  right  and  wrong? 

A.  No.  The  Word  of  God  is  the  standard  of  duty 
to  those  who  possess  it.     Is.  8:20;  Luke  16:29,  31, 

Q.  13.  May  not  the  conscience  be  defiled  and  mis- 
leading ? 

A.     Yes.     Acts  26:9;Titus  1:15. 

Q.  14.     What  is  the  standard  of  morality  to  us? 

A.  The  command,  or  preceptive  will,  of  God,  our 
Creator.  That  is  right  which  He  enjoins ;  and  that  is 
wrong  which  He  forbids,  or  even  does  not  prescribe. 

Q.  15.  What,  however,  is  the  ultimate  standard  of 
morality? 

A.  The  nature  of  God.  His  preceptive  will  is  the 
expression  of  His  nature,  which  is  "holy  and  just  and 
good." 

Q.  16.     What  is  peace  of  conscience? 


186  ^.V  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.  It  is  the  comfort  arising  from  a  sense  of  God's 
favor  toward  us. 

Q.  17.     What  is  an  evil  conscience? 

A.  It  is  a  conscience  that  is  burdened  by  a  sense  of 
God's  disapproval,  or  even  that  lacks  a  sense  of  His  ap- 
proval. 

Q.  18.  May  not  ungodly  men  have  a  certain  kind  «£ 
freedom  from  disquiet  of  conscience? 

A.  They  may  be  in  a  state  of  carnal  security.  Rom. 
7:9;  Jno.  16:2;  Rev.  3:17. 

Q.  ig.  How  may  true  peace  of  conscience  be  distin- 
guished from  false? 

A.  Genuine,  or  warrantable,  peace  of  conscience 
produces  humility,  self-distrust,  sorrow  for  sin  done,  and 
watchfulness  against  sin;  whereas  false,  or  spurious, 
peace  of  conscience  genders  pride  and  careless  living. 
Titus  I  :i6;  Rev.  3:17. 

Q.  20.  May  a  true  believer  lack  for  a  time  desirable 
peace  of  conscience? 

A.     Yes.     Ps.  77:3-9;  88:3-8;  143:7,  8. 

Q.  21.     How  may  this  arise? 

A.     a.  From     indulgence     in     any    sin.     Ps.     32 :5 ; 
107:12; 
h.  From  neglect  of  the   means  of  grace.     Jude 
vs.  20,  21 ;  Jas.  1 :25. 

Q.  22.     What  is  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost? 

A.  It  is  an  exultant  feeling  produced  by  the  Spirit 
of  God  in  the  heart  of  a  true  believer  in  view  of  good 
actually  received,  or  confidently  expected,  from  God. 
Rom.  14  :i7 ;  Gal.  5  :22 ;  i  Thess.  i  :6 ;  i  Pet.  i  :6,  8. 

Q.  23.  Why  is  this  joy  said  to  be  "in  the  Holy 
Ghost"? 

A.     Because  He  is  the  immediate  author  of  it. 

Q.  24.  May  not  unconverted  persons  experience  a 
certain  kind  of  joy  in  view  of  the  facts  of  the  gospel? 

A.     They  may.     Matt.  13  :2i ;  Rev.  3  .ly. 

Q.  25.  How  may  genuine  Christian  joy  be  distin- 
guished from  that  which  is  spurious? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  187 

A.  a.  The  true  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost  begets  and 
fosters  humility,  whereas  the  counterfeit 
joy  puffs  up.     I  Pet.  3:15;  Rev.  3:17; 

b.  The  true  joy  makes  watchful  against  sin.  The 

false  joy  renders  incautious  and  presump- 
tuous.   Phil.  3:12-15;  Tit.  1:16; 

c.  The   true   joy  stimulates  to  perseverance   in 

well-doing;  whereas  the  counterfeit  joy 
renders  indolent,  or,  at  most,  only  spas- 
modically active.  Neh.  8:10;  12:43;  Ps. 
51:12,  13- 

Q.  26.  How  is  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost  meiintained 
and  fostered?     ^ 

A.  By  such  means  as  serve  for  the  maintenance 
and  promotion  of  faith,  such  as  meditation  on  gospel 
truth,  the  use  of  the  sacraments,  prayer,  activity  in  seek- 
ing to  win  others  to  Christ  and  to  help  those  already 
won.  Is.  40:31;  Ps.  19:8;  Heb.  4:16;  i  Thess.  5:19-23; 
Col.  1:9-11;  Phil.  4:4-7. 

Q.  27.     What  is  meant  by  "increase  of  grace"? 

A.     Growth  in  holiness,  or  progress  in  piety. 

Q.  28.  Is  this  a  characteristic  of  all  who  are  re- 
newed ? 

A.  Yes.  Eph.  4:16;  Rom.  12:1,  2;  2  Pet.  1:5,  10; 
3:18. 

Q.  29.     Do  all  Christians  grow  with  equal  rapidity? 

A.  No.  Matt.  13:23;  I  Thess.  i  :6,  7;  Heb.  5:12-14; 
I  Jno,  2:12-14. 

Q.  30.     Is  the  growth  of  the  same  Christian  uniform? 

A.  No.  It  varies,  being  at  one  time  retarded,  at  an- 
other accelerated.  Ps.  73:2;  77:3;  8i:ii,  12;  116:6,  7; 
141 :7. 

Q.  31.  May  not  a  Christian  even  decline,  or  back- 
slide, at  times? 

A.  Yes ;  and  he  might  even  go  back  unto  perdition, 
were  he  not  arrested  by  the  grace  of  God.  Ps.  73  :2 ;  Luke 
22:31,32. 


188  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  32.  Is  it  not  the  interest  and  duty  of  Christians 
to  v/atch? 

A.  Assuredly  so.  Matt.  6:13;  26:41;  i  Cor.  16:13; 
Eph.  6:18. 

Q.  33.  What  is  the  scriptural  doctrine  of  the  "per- 
severance of  the  saints"  ? 

A.  It  is  that  one  efifectually  brought  into  fellowship 
with  Christ,  or,  in  other  words,  regenerated,  shall  never 
perish,  or  even  for  a  time  fall  totally  away  from  God. 

Q.  34.  Does  it  mean  that  a  man  who  lives  habitual- 
ly in  disregard  of  God  shall  be  saved? 

A,  No :  but  it  means  that  no  one  who  has  been  re- 
generated, justified,  and  adopted  shall  be  lost,  or  even 
permitted  for  a  time  to  apostatize  totally  from  God. 

Q.  35.  Does  it  mean  that  one  regenerated  may  not 
fall  grievously  into  sin? 

A.  No :  only  that  such  a  one  cannot  permanently, 
or  fully,  yield  to  temptation,  although  for  a  time  over- 
come by  it. 

Q.  36.  By  what  arguments  may  the  doctrine  thus 
defined  be  sustained? 

A.  Two  classes  of  arguments  may  be  marshalled  in 
its  support,  namely,  indirect  and  direct. 

Q.  37.  What,  in  general,  is  the  nature  of  the  indirect 
line  of  proof? 

A.  This  may  be  described  as  collateral  evidence, 
consisting,  as  it  does,  of  proof  drawn  from  other  doctrines 
which  appear  to  be  true. 

Q.  38.     Specify  some  of  the  doctrines  referred  to? 

A.  Personal  election,  definite  atonement,  justifica- 
tion, the  union  of  the  believer  with  Christ,  the  indwell- 
ing of  the  Spirit,  and  the  intercession  of  Christ. 

Q.  39.  Does  the  evidence,  whatever  it  may  be,  on 
which  these  doctrines  rest  yield  confirmation  of  the  doc- 
trine of  perseverance? 

A.  Yes,  the  evidence  is  cumulative,  and  hence  pow- 
erful. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  189 

Q.  40.  Present  an  item  of  the  direct  evidence  in 
favor  of  the  doctrine  of  perseverance. 

A.  Believers  are  represented  as  having,  even  in  this 
world,  eternal  life.  It  is  not  merely  spiritual  life  they 
have,  but  it  is  eternal  life,  partly  in  actual  enjoyment,  and 
partly  in  title  and  prospect.  Jno.  3:15,  16,  36;  5:24;  6:35, 
47.  50,  51,  54,  57,  58;  10:28;  11:25,  26;  17:2;  Col.  s:s,  4; 
I  Jno.  5:13. 

Q.  41.  Mention  a  second  item  of  direct  evidence  in 
support  of  the  doctrine  of  perseverance. 

A.  Among  the  finally  lost  no  one  who  had  ever  been 
a  true  believer  shall  be  found.  Matt.  7:21-23;  25:31-46; 
I  Jno.  2:19. 

Q.  42.  Adduce  another  argument  on  the  same  side. 
•  A.  Many  texts  seem  explicitly  to  affirm  the  perse- 
verance of  the  saints.  See  Ps.  37:23,  24,  28;  89:33,  34; 
92:12-14;  125:2;  Prov,  4:18;  Is.  45:17;  54:10;  Ezek. 
36:27;  Matt.  24:24;  Jno.  6:40;  10:27-29;  Rom.  8:28-39; 
Phil.  1:6;  I  Jno.  2:27;  3:9. 

Q.  43.  How  may  the  objection  be  answered  that 
this  doctrine  is  at  variance  with  the  fact  of  our  free 
agency  ? 

A.  The  doctrine  is  not  that  the  will  is  rudely  co- 
erced, but  that  without  violence  it  is  swayed  by  God, 
Who  has  access  to  the  recesses  of  the  soul. 

Q.  44.     Is  not  this  objection  at  bottom  rationalistic? 

A.  Yes.  It  involves  the  assumption  that  we  know 
all  of  God's  resources,  and  are  competent  to  affirm  that 
He  cannot,  without  violence,  regulate  the  human  will. 

Q.  45.  Answer  the  objection  founded  on  the  fact 
that,  in  Scripture,  warnings  against  apostasy  and  exhor- 
tations to  caution  and  vigilance  are  addressed  to  be- 
lievers ? 

A.  God  deals  with  His  people  as  rational  beings, 
and  so  urges  motives  fitted  to  operate  upon  them  for  their 
welfare.    Phil.  2:13. 

Q.  46.  It  is  confidently  afBrmed  that  the  Bible  pre- 
sents not  a  few  instances  of  the  complete  and  even  final 


190  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

apostasy  of  saints.  The  chief  instances  cited  are  those  of 
David,  Solomon,  Judas,  Simon  Mag^s,  and  the  per- 
sons referred  to  in  2  Pet.  2:20-22.  How  may  this  ob- 
jection be  met? 

A.     Touching  the  case  of  David  the  following  re- 
marks may  suffice. 

a.  It  is  conceded  that  David,  although  a  saint, 

fell  into  gross  sin  and  continued  imder  it 
for  a  considerable  time; 

b.  Yet  there  is  reason  to  believe  that  in  this  con- 

dition his  heart  was  dissatisfied  and  re- 
monstrant. The  32d  Psalm  seems  to  de- 
scribe his  mental  state  during  this  period 
of  moral  eclipse,  or  suspended  animation ; 

c.  In  Ps.  51,  which  records  David's  repentance 

and  restoration,  it  is  implied  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  had  not  been  taken  from  him,  but 
that  only  spiritual  languor  had  come  over 
him  and  the  joy  of  salvation  had  been 
withdrawn  from  him.  Vs.  11,  12. 
The  case  of  Solomon  may  be  disposed  of  as  follows : 

a.  It  is  admitted  that  Solomon  was  a  converted 

man.  This  might  be  denied,  and  thus, 
summarily,  might  the  case  be  dismissed. 
But  we  hold  that  Solomon  was  a  true  con- 
vert. In  proof  may  be  offered  2  Sam'l. 
12:24,  25;  I  Kings  3:3,  10;  8:12-61;  9:3; 

b.  The  promise  recorded  in  2  Sam'l.  7:12-15  is 

unfavorable  to  the  view  that  Solomon  be- 
came utterly  apostate; 

c.  Although  in  the  spirit  of  a  false  philosophy  he 

yielded  too  much  to  the  ideas  of  his  wives, 
it  is  not  declared  that  he  became  an 
idolater ; 

d.  The  Book  of  Ecclesiastes  seems  to  have  been 

written  by  Solomon  near  the  close  of  his 
life  as  his  dying  testimony  in  behalf  of 
godliness,  and  as  a  warning  against  sin. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  191 

Respecting  Judas  it  may  be  said  that  he  never  was  a 
saint  and  therefore  could  not  fall  from  grace.  See  Ps. 
109;  Jno.  6:70;  12:6.  The  statement  in  Jno.  17:12  does 
not  signify  that  Judas  was  of  the  number  of  those  given 
to  Christ  to  be  saved.  By  filling  out  the  ellipsis  we  get 
the  true  sense,  'l3Ut  the  son  of  perdition  is  lost,"  a  contrast 
being  made  between  Judas  and  those  given  to  Christ  to 
be  saved.     In  Luke  4:25-27  a  like  idiom  occurs. 

In  regard  to  the  persons  described  in  2  Pet,  2 :20-22, 
it  may  be  said  that  they  were  not  regenerated,  but  only 
reformed,  or  nominally  christianized.  This  view  is  sup- 
ported by  the  following  considerations : 

a.  They  are  described  as  having  escaped  only  the 

grosser  pollutions  or  defilements  of  the 
world,  not  the  corruption  that  is  in  the 
world  through  lust,  spoken  of  in  v.  4; 
h.  They  are  not  said  to  have  had  faith,  but  only 
knowledge,  and  that  only  of  the,  not  their, 
Lord  and   Saviour; 
c.  In  V.  22  they  are  compared  to  a  sow ;  washed, 
it  is  true,  but  a  sow  still  with  its  filthy 
propensities  unchanged. 
Respecting  Simon  Magus  mentioned  in  Acts  8:18-24, 
it  is  to  be  said  that  he  was  not  a  true  believer,  and,  there- 
fore, cannot  be  an  instance  of  one  falling  from  grace.     It 
is  true,  he  is  said  to  have  made  a  profession  and  to  have 
believed  and  to  have  been  baptized ;  but  profession  is  not 
equivalent  to  possession,  and  there  may  be  a  belief  of  the 
head  while  there  is  none  of  the  heart. 

Q.  47.     Answer  the  objection  that  the  doctrine  of 

perseverance  tends  to  make  those  who  believe  it  careless. 

A,     a.  This  doctrine  is  not  that  a  man  shall  be  saved 

in  sin ;  but  it  is  that  he  shall  be  saved  from 

sin; 

b.  The  objection  rests  on  the  false  assumption 

that  self-love  is  the  dominant  principle  in 
a  Christian,  and  that  he  would  love  to  sin, 
if  assured  that  he  could  sin  safely; 


192  ^A^  EXPOSITION  OF 

c.  The    doctrine    of    perseverance     inspires    the 

Christian  who  beheves  it  with  hope,  and 
nerves  him  for  the  conflict  with  sin  and 
Satan,     i  Jno.  3  :i-3. 

d.  This  doctrine  reveals  to  us  the  greatness  of 

God's  love  to  us,  and  so  is  fitted  to  foster 
our  love  to  Him  and  to  His  law. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Heb.  II  :i;  Is.  50:10;  8:20;  Tit.  1:15,  16;  Rev. 
3:17;  Rom.  14:17;  Matt.  13  :2i  >Eph.  4:16;  i  Jno.  2  ■.12-14; 
Ps.  125  :2;  Pro  v.  4:18. 


QUESTION  XXXVII. 

What  benefits  do  believers  receive  from 
Christ  at  death? 

ANSWER. 

The  souls  of  believers  are  at  their  death 
made  perfect  in  holiness  and  do  immediately 
pass  into  glory,  and  their  bodies,  being  still 
united  to  Christ,  do  rest  in  their  graves  till  the 
resurrection. 

Q.  I.  What  is  the  second  class  of  benefits  accruing 
to  those  who  have  been  justified,  adopted,  and  in  part 
sanctified? 

A.     Benefits  received  at  death. 

Q.  2.     What  are  these  benefits  ? 

A.     a.  The  complete  sanctification  of  the  soul ; 

b.  The  reception  of  the    soul    into    the    state  of 

glory ; 

c.  The  resting  of  the  body  in  the  grave,  but  in 

union  with  Christ. 
Q.  3.     Do  believers,  as  well  as  others,  die? 
A.     Yes.     Heb.  9 :2y. 

Q.  4.  Is  death  in  this  case  a  part  of  the  penalty  of 
their  sin? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  193 

A.  No.  The  penalty  due  to  them  for  sin  was  ex- 
hausted by  their  surety,  Christ.  2  Cor.  5:21;  Rom.  8:3; 
I  Pet.  2:24;  3:18. 

Q.  5.  Is  not  the  death  of  saints,  however,  a  sequel 
or  result  of  their  sin? 

A.  Yes.  It  is  so  in  much  the  same  sense  as  a  surgi- 
cal operation  is  a  consequence  of  a  gangrened  limb.  Such 
an  operation  is  a  result,  not  properly  a  penalty,  of  the  dis- 
ease, although  a  consequence  of  it.  It  is  a  measure 
adopted  as  a  relief,  not  properly  as  a  penalty. 

Q.  6.  What  change  is  effected  in  the  soul  of  a  be- 
liever at  death? 

A.  His  soul  is  in  the  hour  of  death  made  perfect  in 
holiness. 

Q.  7.     How  is  this  apparent? 

A.     From  these  considerations  at  least,  namely : 

a.  Before  the  hour  of  death  no  one  is  perfect  in 
holiness,  as  will  be  shown  under  another 
question ; 
h.  At  death,   as  will  presently  be   proved,   the 

souls  of  believers  go  directly  to  glory ; 
c.  Into  such  glory  no  one  polluted  with  sin  can 
enter.    Heb.  12:23;  ^^v.  21:27. 
Q.  8.     In  reply  to  the  assertion  that  this  doctrine  of 
instantaneous  purification  is  incredible,  what  answer  may 
be  given? 

A.  If  it  is  a  fact  that  in  an  instant  the  soul  dead  in 
sin  is  made  spiritually  alive,  may  it  not  in  an  instant  be 
delivered  at  the  hour  of  death  from  the  remains  of  cor- 
ruption? 

Q.  9.  Is  not  the  prospect  of  such  a  deliverance  fitted 
to  disarm  death  of  its  terrors  in  the  case  of  a  Christian? 

A.     Yes,  assuredly,  i  Cor.  15:56,  57. 

Q.  10.  What  is  the  doctrine  of  "intermediate  un- 
consciousness" which  has  been  advocated  by  some  Pro- 
testants, particularly  of  the  "Church  of  England"? 


194  ■         AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.  It  is  the  view  that  between  death  and  the  resur- 
rection the  soul  is  in  a  state  of  torpor,  unconscious  of 
the  flight  of  time  and  of  the  flow  of  events. 

Q.  II.     Is  this  opinion  sanctioned  by  Scripture? 

A.     No. 

a.  It  is  discountenanced  in  the  parable  of  the 

Rich  Man  and  Lazarus.     Luke  16:23-25; 

b.  It  is  at  variance  with  the  promise  of  Christ 

to  the  robber  on  the  cross  (Luke  23:43). 
To  be  "with  Christ"  is  to  be  in  active 
fellowship  with  Him  and  enjoyment  of 
Him; 

c.  It  conflicts  with  Paul's  desire  to  depart  and 

be  with  Christ.  Phil,  i  :23.  Had  Paul  be- 
lieved that  his  death  would  be  only  a  step 
into  inaction  and  unconsciousness,  he 
would  have  preferred  to  remain  in  this 
world,  where  he  could  work  for  Christ  and 
enjoy  actual  fellowship  with  Him. 

Q.  12.  What  do  Romanists  hold  to  be  the  immedi- 
ate sequel  of  death  in  the  case  of  the  wicked? 

A.  They  teach  that  the  wicked,  on  dying,  pass 
directly  to  the  place  of  endless  torment. 

Q.  13.  What  do  Romanists  say  befalls  Christians 
at  death? 

A.  a.  That  some  of  them,  even  as  many  as  have 
attained  before  death  a  state  of  perfect 
sanctity,  go  immediately  to  glory ; 
h.  That  others,  even  all  whose  sanctity  is  not 
complete  before  death,  pass  at  once  to 
a  place  called  "Purgatory,"  where  by 
suffering  for  a  time,  it  may  be  in  some 
cases  even  for  centuries,  they  make  satis- 
faction for  their  sins,  and  secure  cleansing 
from  the  pollution  of  sin,  so  as  to  be  fit  for 
heaven.  The  pains  of  Purgatory  are 
alleged  to  be  not  only  purifying,  but  also 
expiatory.     It  may  be  noted  that  unbap- 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  195 

tized  infants,  dying  in  infancy,  are,  if 
Romanists  may  be  believed,  denied  access 
to  Purgatory,  and  consigned  to  a  state  of 
non-enjoyment,  or  negative   punishment. 

Q.  14.     Refute  this  dogma  of  Purgatory. 

A.  a.  The  Scriptures,  the  all-sufficient  rule  of  faith, 
give  no  hint  of  the  existence  of  such  a 
place  or  state  as  purgatory; 

&..  The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  cleanses  from  all 
sin,  and  nothing  else  can  cleanse  from  any 
sin.     I  Jno.  1:7;  Rom.  8:1; 

c.  When  God  justifies  a  sinner.  He  holds  him  to 

be,  for  Christ's  sake,  both  pardoned  and 
accepted.  One  so  accepted  needs  to  pass 
through  no  purgatory  in  order  to  reach 
heaven ; 

d.  The  avarice  of  priests,  so-called,  is  the  chief 

argument  for  purgatory;  for  "masses,"  it 
is  taught,  avail  for  the  relief  and  release 
of  souls  in  purgatory;  and  for  masses 
money  must  be  paid. 
Q.  15.  How  can  the  release  of  a  soul  from  purga- 
tory be  ascertained? 

A.  This  is  a  question  unsolved  by  Rome;  but,  as 
a  rule,  so  long  as  there  is  prospect  of  pay,  the  "priests" 
are  willing  to  pray  and  to  offer  masses  for  the  departed. 
Q.  16.  How  can  it  be  determined  by  believers  in 
the  doctrine  whether,  or  not,  a  soul  has  gone  to  purga- 
tory? 

A.  Even  this  point  is  not  set  in  a  clear  light.  Those 
who  have  attained  perfect  sanctity,  it  is  admitted,  do  not 
go  to  purgatory.  Neither  do  those  who  die  at  enmity 
with  the  Church,  that  is,  the  papal  communion.  But  how 
is  the  real  condition  of  the  soul  to  be  determined?  Who 
among  men  can  tell  when  perfect  sanctity  is  reached, 
or  when  a  soul  departs  at  enmity,  or  in  friendship,  with 
the  Church? 


196  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  17.  What  is  the  nature  of  the  glory  into  which 
believers  enter  at  death? 

A.  It  is  a  state  of  freedom  from  sin,  sorrow,  and 
fear,  and  of  unutterable  dignity  and  bliss.  Rom.  8:18, 
32;  2  Cor.  4:17. 

Q.  18.  Shall  mutual  recognition  on  the  part  of  the 
redeemed  form  an  ingredient  of  their  bliss? 

A.  Yes.  Memory,  an  original  faculty  of  the  human 
mind,  is  not  impaired  by  grace,  but  refined  and 
strengthened  thereby.  The  communion  of  saints  is  in 
this  world  a  source  of  pleasure,  and  why  not  also  in 
heaven? 

Q.  19.  Does  death,  which  temporarily  sunders  the 
soul  and  body,  sever  the  body  of  the  believer  from 
Christ? 

A.  No.  The  union  between  Christ  and  every  be- 
liever is  indissoluble,  and  that  union  embraces  the  body 
as  well  as  the  soul  of  the  believer.  Christ  redeemed 
human  persons,  and  a  human  person,  or  being,  consists 
of  a  material  body  in  mysterious  union  with  an  im- 
material substance,  called  soul  or  spirit.  Rom.  8:7, 
11;  12:1 ;  I  Cor.  6:13-20;  Eph.  5:23,  30. 

Q.  20.  How  is  the  condition  of  the  body  of  the 
righteous  between  death  and  the  resurrection  described 
in  Scripture? 

A.  As  a  resting  and  as  a  sleeping.  Is.  57 :2;  i  Thess. 
4:14.  To  the  wicked,  the  grave  is  a  prison  in  which  the 
body  is  grimly  held  for  judgment.  To  the  righteous,  it 
is  a  temporary  resting-place  on  the  way  to  glory. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Heb.  9:27;  12:23;  I  Jno.  1:7;  Rom.  12:1;  2  Cor.  4:17; 
I  Thess.  4:  14. 


QUESTION  XXXVIII. 

What   benefits    do    believers    receive    from 
Christ  at  the  resurrection? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  197 

ANSWER. 

At  the  resurrection  believers,  being  raised 
up  in  glory,  shall  be  openly  acknowledged  and 
acquitted  in  the  day  of  judgment  and  made 
perfectly  blessed  in  full  enjoying  of  God  to  all 
eternity. 

Q.  I.  Is  there  to  be  a  resurrection  of  the  bodies 
of  deceased  men? 

A.  Yes.  Matt.  22:31,  32;  Jno.  5:28,  29;  6:39,  40; 
Acts  24:15. 

Q.  2.     What  renders  such  an  event  necessary? 
A.    a.  The  justice  of  God  demands  the  resurrection 
of  the  wicked  in  order  that  the  punish- 
ment due  in  each  case  may  be  inflicted 
on  the  entire  person ; 
h.  The  justice  and  love  of  God  combine  to  de- 
mand the  resurrection  of  the  righteous; 
justice,  that  in  their  complete  person  they 
may  receive  the  blessings  won  for  them 
by    Christ,    and    love,   that    in    their   full 
person  they  may  experience  the  wealth  of 
God's  regard  for  them. 
Q.  3.     Is  the  resurrection  of  man  a  fruit  of  Christ's 
atonement? 

A.  No.  The  resurrection  to  glory  is  such  a  fruit. 
The  resurrection  of  the  wicked  is  a  step  toward  the  pun- 
ishment of  their  entire  person,  and  flows  from  the  puni- 
tive justice  of  God,  and  must  have  occurred  had  no 
Saviour  appeared   in  the  world. 

Q.  4.  Is  it  necessary  to  believe  that  the  very  par- 
ticles which  compose  the  body  at  death  shall  be  raised 
again? 

A.  No.  The  identity,  or  sameness,  of  the  body  in 
this  life  does  not  rest  on  the  continued  sameness  of  the 
corporeal  particles;  and  so  the  body  raised,  while  as 
to  its  constituent  particles  not  absolutely  the  same  as 


198  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

the  body  in  the  grave,  may  have  enough  in  common  with 
it  to  warrant  the  assertion  of  their  identity. 

Q.  5.  What  is  the  spiritual  body  which,  it  is 
declared,  the  righteous  shall  have  at  the  resurrection. 
See  I  Cor.  15:44-46. 

A.  Not  an  immaterial  body,  which  is  a  contradic- 
tion in  terms,  but  a  body  etherealized  and  thoroughly 
responsive  to  the  motions  of  the  soul. 

Q.  6.  Shall  the  resurrection  of  the  righteous  and 
of  the  wicked  be  simultaneous? 

A.     It  would  seem  so.    Jno.  5:28,  29;  Acts  24:15. 

Q.  7.  What  is  meant  by  the  statement  in  i  Thess. 
4:16,  "And  the  dead  in  Christ  shall  rise  first"? 

A.  The  import  is  that  the  righteous  dead  shall  be 
raised  before  the  righteous  who  shall  be  living  on  the 
earth  at  the  last  day  shall  have  undergone  a  change 
corresponding  to  death,  as  the  apostle  teaches  they  shall. 
See  I  Cor.  15:51,  52;  i  Thess.  4:15-17. 

Q.  8.     When  shall  the  resurrection  occur? 

A.  At  the  last  day,  or  the  winding  up  of  the  world 
as  now  existent.  Jno.  6:40,  44;  11:24;  2  Pet.  3:7,  10, 
12;  Jude  V.  6. 

Q.  g.  What  event  shall  immediately  succeed  the 
resurrection? 

A.  The  general  and  final  judgment.  Jno.  5:29; 
Acts  17:31;  Rev.  20:2,  13. 

Q.  10.     In  this  judgment,  how  shall  believers  fare? 

A.  a.  They  "shall  be  openly  acknowledged  and  ac- 
quitted." Matt.  25:40;  Jno.  5:29. 
b..  It  would  seem  that,  upon  their  acquittal,  they 
shall  in  some  sense  join  with  Christ  in 
judging  evil  men  and  angels,  i  Cor.  6: 
2,  3- 

Q.  II.  Are  not  the  saints  at  the  date  of  their  death, 
and  even  at  the  time  of  their  justification,  acknowledged 
and  acquitted? 

A.     Yes.    This  has  been  already  stated  and  argued. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  199 

Q.  12.  What  then  is  the  distinction  put  upon  them 
at  the  last  day? 

A.  They  shall  then  be  openly  recognized  as  just. 
Matt.  25:31-42. 

Q.  13.  Does  this  forbid  the  idea  that  in  the  final 
judgment  the  sins  of  the  righteous  shall  be  reviewed? 

A.  No.  In  reference  to  this  point,  see  what  has 
been  said  in  the  treatment  of  Question  XXVIII. 

Q.  14.  What  shall  succeed  the  formal  acquittal  of 
the  saints? 

A.  Their  entrance  into  perfect  bliss  in  a  "full  en- 
joying of  God." 

Q.  15.  Had  not  their  bliss  been  complete  from  the 
date  of  death? 

A,  It  had  in  this  respect,  that  the  soul  was  in  a 
state  of  enjoyment  free  from  any  ingredient  of  pain.  But 
at  the  reunion  of  soul  and  body  the  complete  person  shall 
be  filled  with  ecstasy.  Rom.  8:18,  23;  Phil.  3:21;  i  Cor. 
15:42-44,  54. 

Q.  16.  Shall  the  bliss  of  the  saints  in  their  com- 
plete personality  be  imspeakably  great? 

A.  Yes.  Rom.  8:18;  2  Cor.  4:17;  Eph.  3:19;  Jude 
V.  24. 

Q.  17.  Mention  some  of  the  elements  of  this  coming 
glory. 

A.  a.  A  vastly  increased  and  ever-increasing  sense 
of  the  glory  of  God.  i  Cor.  13:12;  i 
Jno.  3:2; 

b.  An  unclouded  sense  on  the  part  of  the  saved 

of  their  forgiveness  and  acceptance; 

c.  A  sight  of  the  glorified  humanity  of  the  Son 

of    God,    and    converse    with    Him.       i 
Jno.  3 :2 ; 

d.  Free  fellowship  on  the  part  of  each  with  the 

host  of  the  redeemed,  and  with  the  holy 
angels.     Heb.  12:23,  24. 


200  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

e.  Vastly  enlarged  acquaintance  with  the  mar- 
vels of  the  universe  created  and  upheld  by 
God.     Ps.  Ill  :2,  4; 
/.  Congenial  occupation,  perhaps  in  promoting 
the  welfare  of  other  creatures  of  God,  now 
unknown  to  us; 
g.  The  tranquil  assurance  that  the  bliss  enjoyed 
shall  be  endless.     Matt.  25:46;  Tit.  1:2; 
Rom.  2:7;  6:22,  23; 
h.  The    prospect    of    ever-increasing    ability    to 
glorify  God  and  to  enjoy  Him.     If  in  this 
world  our  faculties  expand  with  exercise, 
why  should  it  not  be  so  likewise  in  the 
future  state?    i  Cor.  13:11;  2  Cor.  3:18. 
Q.  18.     Shall  there  be  diversity  among  the  redeemed 
as  regards  the  degree  of  glory  enjoyed? 

A.  Apparently  so.  Dan.  12:3;  Mark  4:20;  Matt. 
10:42;  Heb.  6:10;  2  Cor.  9:6;  i  Thess,  2:19,  20;  i  Cor. 
15:41,  42. 

Q.  ig.  May  not  the  knowledge  of  the  lost,  among 
whom  may  be  near  relatives  and  friends,  mar  the  happi- 
ness of  the  glorified  saints? 

A.  No.  The  glorified  saints  shall  be  so  filled  with 
a  sense  of  the  odiousness  of  sin,  and  so  completely 
assured  of  the  wisdom,  goodness,  and  equity  of  God,  that 
they  shall  heartily  acquiesce  in  His  dealing  with  the 
wicked.    Luke  16:25;  Rev.  16:5,  7;  Ps.  139:21,  22. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Jno.  5:28,  29;  Acts  24:15;  Rom.  8:18;  i  Cor.  13:12; 
2  Cor.  3:18;  Eph.  3:19;  Jude  v.  24;  Heb.  6:10;  Ps.  iii  :2; 
139:21,  22. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  201 


PART  THIRD. 

DUTY. 

QUESTION  XXXIX. 
What  is  the  duty  which  God  requireth  of  man? 

ANSWER. 

The   duty  which  God   requireth  of  man  is 
obedience  to  His  revealed  will. 

Q.  I.  What  is  the  general  import  of  the  word 
"duty"? 

A.     That  which  is  due,  or  obligatory. 

Q.  2.  How  may  man's  duty  be  comprehensively  de- 
fined? 

A.     His  obligation  to  obey  God. 

Q.  3.     What  is  implied  in  this  definition? 

A.  Not  only  that  there  is  a  God,  but  also  that  He 
has  issued  commands  which  concern  us  and  are  known 
to  us. 

Q.  4.  What  is  meant  in  this  answer  by  the  expres- 
sion, "the  revealed  will  of  God"? 

A.  His  will  of  command.  His  preceptive  will,  not 
His  will  of  purpose. 

Q.  5.  Is  the  secret  will  of  God,  that  is.  His  purpose, 
a  rule  of  conduct  to  us? 

A.  No.  For  instance,  it  was  God's  will,  or  purpose, 
that  Christ  should  be  crucified,  but  they  who  perpetrated 
the  deed  were  guilty.    Acts  2 :23. 

Q.  6.  If,  even,  the  purpose  of  God  were  not  secret, 
but  definitely  revealed  to  us,  would  it  be  a  rule  of  duty 
to  us? 


202  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.     No.     God's  commands  to  us,  not  His  purposes, 
whether  secret  or  revealed,  are  our  rule  of  duty.     Pre- 
scription, not  prediction,  is  to  regulate  our  conduct. 
Deut.  lo  :i2,  13 ;  1 1  :i ;  12 :32. 

Q.  7.     Ma,y  we  obey  the  commands  of  men? 

A.     Yes ;  but  only  so  far  as  these  commands  are  in 
accordance  with  the  commands  of  God. 

Q.  8.     Even    in    obeying    men's    lawful   commands, 
should  we  not  look  beyond  men  to  God  as  our  ruler? 

A.     Yes.     Col.  3:22-24;  I  Pet.  2:13-16;  Ex.  20:12. 

Q.  9.     Where  has  God  embodied  in  the  fullest  degree 
instructions  to  us  touching  our  duty? 

A.     In    the   Scriptures.      Ps.    19:7;    Is.  8:20;    Luke 
16:29;  2  Tim.  3:15-17. 

TEXTS   TO  BE   COMMITTED  TO   MEMORY. 

Deut.  10:12,  13;  Ps.  19:7;  Col.  3:22-24;  I  Pet.  2:13- 
16. 


.QUESTION  XL. 

What  did  God  at  first  reveal  to  man  for  the 
rule  of  his  obedience? 

ANSWER. 

The  rule  which  God  at  first  revealed  to  man 
for  his  obedience  was  the  moral  law. 

Q.  I.     What  is  the  "moral  law"? 

A.  It  is  the  rule  established  by  God  for  the  regula- 
tion of  our  mental  state  and  outward  action  toward  Him- 
self and  our  fellow-creatures,  particularly  our  fellowmen. 

Q.  2.  When  did  God  first  make  known  this  law  to 
man? 

A.  Knowledge  of  the  substance  of  this  law  and 
conformity  to  it  were  communicated  to  Adam  and  Eve 
in  their  very  creation.  They  began  their  existence  in 
harmony  with  it.  Gen.  1:27,  31;  Eccl.  7:29;  Eph.  4:24. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  203 

Q.  3.     What  is  the  central  principle  of  this  law? 

A.  The  right  of  God  to  the  unlimited  love,  trust, 
and  obedience  of  all  His  intelligent  creatures.    Deut.  6:5. 

Q.  4.  Did  not  God  give  an  additional  law  to  Adam 
and  Eve  when  He  commanded  them  to  abstain  from 
eating  the  fruit  of  the  tree  of  knowledge? 

A.  No;  but  He  merely  indicated  a  way  in  which 
their  love  and  reverence  for  Him  were  to  be  shown. 
The  law,  already  dominant  in  them,  dictated  implicit 
compliance  with  the  prohibition,  when  made  known  to 
them. 

Q.  5.  Does  the  moral  law  enforce  the  precept,  "Be- 
lieve in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ"? 

A.     Yes.     In  whatever  way,  and  wheresoever,  God* 
addresses  a  command  to  us,  the  moral  law  enjoins  exact 
compliance  with  it. 

Q.  6.  Was  the  ceremonial  law  enforced  by  the 
moral  law? 

A.  Yes ;  and  so  are  all  the  warrantable  observances 
of  worship  under  the  New  Testament  dispensation. 

Q.  7.  Does  the  moral  law,  then,  cover  the  entire 
range  of  man's  duty  under  whatever  dispensation  he 
lives  ? 

A.     Yes.  Ps.  119:96;  Matt.  19:17-19. 

Q.  8.  How  many  codes  of  law  has  God  given  to 
men? 

A.  Three,  namely,  the  moral  law,  which  is  funda- 
mental; the  ceremonial  law;  and  the  judicial  law. 

Q.  9.     What  is  the  ceremonial  law? 

A.  It  is  the  body  of  specific  directions  given  by  God 
as  to  forms  and  seasons  of  worship  and  the  methods  to 
be  used  for  the  production  and  promotion  of  holiness 
among  men. 

Q.  10.  Is  it  customary,  however,  to  use  the  phrase 
"ceremonial  law"  in  a  limited  sense,  to  signify  merely  the 
instructions  given  to  Moses  by  God,  and  by  Moses  to  the 
Israelitish  people,  in  regard  to  seasons  and  forms  of  wor- 
ship to  be  observed  till  the  advent  of  Christ? 


204  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  II.     Does  not  this  seem  an  arbitrary  limitation? 

A.  Yes;  because  that  for  New  Testament  times, 
not  less  really,  though  less  elaborately,  than  for  Old 
Testament  times,  rites  and  offices  have  been  divinely  ap- 
pointed for  producing  and  furthering  true  religion. 

Q.  12.  If  we  use  the  phrase  "ceremonial  law"  in  its 
customary  restricted  sense,  what  date  shall  be  assigned 
to  the  giving  of  it. 

A.  It  was  given  gradually  from  the  date  of  the  fall 
of  man,  when  the  rite  of  sacrifice  was  instituted,  till  the 
time  of  David,  but  especially  in  communications  made 
to  Moses  at  Sinai,  after  the  proclamation  of  the  Ten 
Commandments. 

Q.  13.     What  was  the  central  rite  of  this  law? 

A.  The  offering  of  animals  in  sacrifice,  whereby 
the  expiatory  and  propitiatory  work  of  Christ  was  vividly 
typified. 

Q.  14.     How  was  this  form  of  worship  originated? 

A.     Not  by  man,  but  by  the  direction  of  God. 

Q.  15.     Why  say  "not  by  man"? 

A.     Because, 

a.  If  originated  by  man,  it  would  be  "will-wor- 

ship," which  is  presumption  in  the  sight 
of  God.  Col.  2:18,  23; 

b.  Man  would  not  naturally  conceive  that  the 

slaughter  of  innocent  animals  would  be 
pleasing  to  God ; 

c.  Before   their   expulsion   from   the   garden   of 

Eden,  Adam  and  Eve  were  clothed  by 
God  with  the  skins  of  animals,  a  notice  to 
the  guilty  pair  that  only  by  substitution- 
ary blood-shedding  and  death  could  they 
be  covered  and  protected.  Gen.  3:21. 
Q.  16.  What  different  forms  of  animal  sacrifice 
were  appointed  by  God? 

A.  Four,  namely,  burnt-offering,  peace-offering, 
sin-offering,  and  trespass-offering. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  205 

Q.  17.     Which  of  these  was  the  most  ancient? 

A.  The  burnt-offering.  Gen.  8 :20 ;  22  7,  8.  Not  till 
the  time  of  the  Exodus  from  Egypt  is  any  of  the  others 
mentioned.  At  that  date  a  variation  was  introduced,  the 
passover  being  appointed  (Ex.  12:27),  and  soon  after 
the  peace-offering,     Ex.  24:5. 

Q.  18.  What  was  the  common,  or  fundamental,  con- 
ception in  all  the  forms  of  bloody  sacrifice? 

A.  That  of  expiation,  or  satisfaction  for  sin.  Heb. 
9:22. 

Q.  19.  What  was  the  characteristic,  or  distinctive, 
import  of  each  of  the  aforenamed  kinds  of  sacrifice? 

A.  a.  The  burnt-offering  embodied  the  idea  of 
atonement,  that  is,  of  expiation  and  pro- 
pitiation, or  of  satisfaction  for  sin  charge- 
able upon  us  and  for  obedience  due  by  us; 
and  pointed  to  Christ  as  our  substitute. 
h.  In  the  peace-offering  the  establishment  of 
harmony  between  God  and  the  worshipper 
on  the  basis  of  atonement  is  shadowed 
forth.    Rom.  5:1. 

c.  In  the  sin-offering  the  distinctive  conceptions 

embraced  are  that  even  believers,  while  in 
this  world,  stand  in  need  of  daily  forgive- 
ness, and  that  for  this  the  blood  of  Christ 
is  necessary  and  sufficient,     i  Jno.  i  7-9. 

d.  In    the    trespass-offering    expiation    through 

substitutionary  suffering  and  death  is  set 
forth,  but  with  the  additional  idea  that 
amends  must  be  made  to  God  for  the 
dishonor  done  to  Him,  and  restitution  to 
man  for  injury  done  to  him. 

Q.  20.  What  office  was  most  prominent  in  the 
Mosaic  ceremonial  system? 

A.     That  of  priest. 

Q.  21.  What  were  the  chief  functions  of  the  priests, 
particularly  of  the  high  priests? 


206  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.  The  offering-  of  sacrifice  and  intercession,  the 
teaching  of  reHgion,  and  the  solution  of  practical  ques- 
tions in  seasons  of  emergency,  Heb,  5:1-3;  8:3;  Mai. 
2:7;  Numb.  27:21;  Luke  1:9,  10. 

Q.  22.  Whom  did  the  priests,  but  especially  the 
high  priest,  prefigure? 

A.  Christ,  "the  great  high  priest."  Heb.  4:14;  5: 
5,  10;  6:20;  3:1;  7:24,  25. 

Q.  23.  In  the  ritual,  or  ceremonial,  laws  of  the  New 
Testament  dispensation  is  the  ordinance  of  animal  sacri- 
fice continued? 

A.  No.  Christ  by  one  sacrifice,  that  of  Himself, 
superseded  all  animal  sacrifices.  Heb.  10:14,  18. 

Q.  24.  In  the  ritual  arrangements  of  the  New  Tes- 
tament dispensation  is  there  any  functionary  called 
"priest"? 

A.  No.  Christ  Himself  is  the  only  official  priest  of 
the  New  Testament  Church.     Heb.  3:1;  9:11-14;  10:14. 

Q.  25.     Yet  are  not  all  believers  priests? 

A.  Yes;  but  their  offerings  are  not  bloody  sacri- 
fices. Instead  of  these,  they  devote  their  hearts  and  lives 
and  possessions  to  God.  Rom.  12:1;  Heb.  13:15,  16;  i 
Pet.  2:5,  9 ;  Rev.  i  :6. 

Q.  26.  What  is  the  ritual,  or  ceremonial,  service  of 
the  New  Testament  Church? 

A.  Praise,  the  fruit  of  the  lips ;  prayer ;  the  preach- 
ing of  the  Word;  fasting  occasionally;  the  observance  of 
the  sacraments  of  Baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper;  and 
giving  for  the  cause  of  God. 

Q.  27.  What  are  the  permanent  offices  in  the  New 
Testament  Church? 

A.  Those  of  elder  and  deacon,  i  Tim.  3:2,  8;  5:17; 
Tit.  1:5;  Jas.  5:14;  Phil.  1:1;  Acts  6:3-6;  14:23. 

Q.  28.  What  are  the  functions,  or  special  duties,  of 
the  elders? 

A.  The  oversight  and  rule  of  the  flock.  Hence  they 
are  called  "bishops"  (Acts  20:28;  Phil.  1:1),  which  is  an 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  207 

English  form  of  the  Greek  word  "episcopoi,"  meaning 
overseers. 

Q.  29.  Among  these  "overseers"  is  there  any  dis- 
tinction? 

A.  As  respects  rule,  they  are  all  equal ;  but  to  some 
of  them  pertains,  besides,  the  function  of  teaching 
officially,  i  Tim.  5  :iy. 

Q.  30.  Who  is  the  universal  bishop,  or  overseer,  o\ 
the  Church? 

A.  Not  the  Pope,  who  is  a  usurper  and  a  robber, 
but  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  alone.  Jno.  10:11,  14,  16;  21: 
15-17 ;  Eph.  1 :22,  23 ;  5  123 ;  i  Pet.  5  4. 

Q.  31.     What  are  the  duties  of  deacons? 

A.  To  carry  out  the  will  of  the  Church  in  minister- 
ing to  the  needs  of  the  poor,  particularly  of  poor  mem- 
bers, and  in  attending  to  the  temporalities  of  the  congre- 
gation.   Acts  6:1-6. 

Q.  32.  Has  God  furnished  to  the  Church  in  its  New 
Testament  form  instructions  in  regard  to  prayer  and 
praise  ? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  33.  What  instructions  in  regard  to  prayer  are 
given? 

A.  a.  That  prayer,  as  a  religious  exercise,  is  to  be 
addressed  to  God  only.  Matt.  6 :6-g ;  Eph. 
2:18; 

b.  That  it  is  to  be  made  only  for  things  agreeable 

to  the  revealed  will  of  God.     i  Jno.  5:14; 

c.  That  it  should  be  offered  in  the  name  of  Christ 

alone.    Jno.  14:6;  i  Tim.  2:5;  Eph.  2:18; 

d.  That  confession  and  thanksgiving  are  ingredi- 

ents or  fit  adjuncts  of  prayer,    i  Jno.  i  :g; 
Phil.  4:6. 
Q.  34.     Touching  the  exercise  of  praise,  what  is  the 
law? 

A.  That  this  is  to  be  performed  by  the  singing,  or 
chanting,  of  hymns  to  God.  Eph.  5:19;  Col.  3:16;  Jas. 
5:13;  Acts  16:25;  Ps.  67:3-5;  96:1-3;  100:1,  2. 


208  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  35.  Has  God  supplied  the  very  songs  to  be  used 
in  this  exercise? 

A.  Yes.  He  furnished  expressly  for  this  purpose 
"a  book  of  praises"  to  the  Church  in  its  Old  Testament 
stage,  and  has  never  recalled  that  appointment,  but  in 
the  New  Testament  Scriptures  has  confirmed  it.* 

Q.  36.  What  confirmation  is  afforded  in  the  New 
Testament? 

A.  a.  There  is  no  annulment  of  the  previous  order, 
as  there  is  in  the  case  of  the  sacrificial 
system ; 

b.  Our  Lord  and  His  disciples  sung,  as  is  almost 

universally  conceded,  a  series  of  Scripture 
psalms  at  the  institution  of  the  Supper,  a 
New  Testament  ordinance,  thus  seem- 
ingly binding  them  together.  Matt.  26 130 ; 
Mark  14:26; 

c.  The  directions  given  in  Eph.  5:19  and  Col. 

3  :i6  enjoin  the  singing  of  the  Psalms, 
to  denote  which  exhaustively  three  differ- 
ent terms  are  used. 

Q.  37.     What  was  the  judicial,  or  juridical,  law? 

A.  It  was  that  body  of  enactments  given  by  God 
to  the  Israelites  through  Moses  to  regulate  their  civil 
polity  and  jurisprudence. 

Q.  38.  Are  these  enactments  of  universal  obliga- 
tion? 

A.  No.  They  were  clearly  intended  for  the  Israel- 
ites as  a  distinct  nation,  and  to  continue  authoritative  till 
the  death  of  Christ.     Gen.  49:10;  Dan.  9:24-26. 

Q.  39.  Yet  are  not  the  general  principles  of  equity 
which  pervade  this  law  binding  on  all  who  know  them? 

A.  Yes ;  but  they  are  binding  in  virtue  of  the  moral 
law  which  underlies  them. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Mai.  2:7;  Heb.  3:1;  4:14;  10:14,  18;  13:15,  16;  Eph. 
5:19;  Col.  3:16. 

*See  Note  at  end  of  Question  XL. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  209 

Note. 

If  it  is  true,  as  will  be  more  particularly  shown  in 
the  exposition  of  the  Second  Commandment,  that  every 
part  of  our  worship  should  have  Divine  appointment, 
the  question,  "What  shall  we  sing  in  the  worship  of 
God,"  demands  serious  attention.  By  those  who  admit 
that  the  singing  of  God's  praise  is  divinely  prescribed,  it 
is  generally  conceded  that  the  compositions  embodied  in 
the  Book  of  Psalms  may  properly  be  used  in  this  exer- 
cise. But  many  who  make  this  admission  contend  that 
uninspired  compositions  may  also  be  used  in  the  service 
of  praise.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  also,  those  who  take  this 
view  generally  drop  out  the  Psalms,  and  use  instead  in 
solemn  worship  hymns  composed  by  uninspired  and 
epring  men. 

In  favor  of  restriction  to  the  inspired  Psalter  as  the 
matter  of  praise  a  few  considerations  are  subjoined. 

1.  God  gave  to  the  Old  Testament  Church  inspired 
songs  for  use  in  worship ; 

2.  These  songs  were  in  course  of  time  collected  into 
one  book  called  by  Divine  authority  "The  Book  of 
Psalms,"  and  forming  an  important  and  unique  part  of 
the  sacred  canon.    Luke  20:42;  Acts  i  :2o; 

3.  There  is  no  clear  evidence  that  God  ever  author- 
ized His  ancient  people  to  use  in  the  stated  service  of 
song  any  hymns  but  those  which  form  the  Psalter; 

4.  The  use  of  this  psalm-book  for  the  purpose  of 
praise  has  not  been  discountenanced  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment; 

5.  On  the  contrary,  the  use  of  it  as  the  "book  of 
praises"  has  been  in  the  New  Testament  countenanced, 
commended,  and  even  commanded. 

For  instance,  in  instituting  the  Supper,  a  New  Testa- 
ment ordinance,  our  Lord  with  His  disciples  "hymned"; 
and  it  is  generally  agreed  that  in  accordance  with  Jewish 
custom  the  hymns  used  were  a  series  of  psalms  begin- 
ning with  the  113th  and  ending  with  the  ii8th  of  the 


210  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Psalter.  Thus  the  Psalter  was  by  Christ  Himself  de- 
clared to  be  a  fit  companion  of  the  Supper; 

Moreover,  in  Eph.  5:19  and  Col.  3:16  the  use  of 
"psalms,  hymns,  and  spiritual  songs"  is  enjoined.  These 
are  found  in  the  Psalter;  many  of  the  Psalms  being  in 
the  ancient  superscriptions  styled  "songs"  (See  Ps.  120- 
134  inclusive).  In  the  Septuagint,  or  Greek  translation, 
the  72nd  psalm  closes  thus,  "The  hymns  of  David,  the 
son  of  Jesse,  are  ended" ;  and  this  is  the  translation  which 
was,  no  doubt,  in  use  among  the  Christians  in  Ephesus 
and  Colosse, 

Josephus,  the  Jewish  historian,  a  contemporary  of 
the  Apostle  Paul,  states  in  his  account  of  King  David, 
that  he  composed  many  "hymns  and  songs"  for  purposes 
of  worship. 

Besides,  the  word  "spiritual,"  prefixed  in  Eph.  5:19 
and  Col.  3:16  to  the  word  "songs,"  denotes  something 
produced  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  that  is,  inspired.  More- 
over, the  Ephesians  and  Colossians  are  not  told  to  make, 
but  only  to  sing,  to  take,  not  make,  spiritual  songs  for 
worship.     It  is  implied  that  they  already  possessed  such ; 

6.  If  in  the  apostolic  Church  other  songs  than  those 
embodied  in  the  Psalter  were  used  in  worship,  the  sur- 
vival of  them,  or  of  some  of  them,  might  surely  be  ex- 
pected ;  but  none  such  can  be  found ; 

7.  It  is  certain  that  in  the  early  centuries  of  the 
New  Testament  Church  the  inspired  Psalter  was  pre- 
eminently the  hymn-book  of  Christians ; 

8.  Heretics  seem  to  have  been  the  first  to  substi- 
tute compositions  of  their  OAvn ; 

9.  The  Psalter  is  the  true  union  hymn-book. 


QUESTION  XLI. 

Where  is  the  moral  law  summcirily  compre- 
hended? 

ANSWER. 

The  moral  law  is  summarily  comprehended 
in  the  Ten  Commandments. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  211 

Q.  I.  Do  not  all  the  commandments  which  God  has 
ever  given  to  man  come  imder  the  head  o£  the  moral  law? 

A.  Yes.  The  fundamental  requirement  of  that  law 
is  unlimited  love  to  God  and  reverence  for  His  authority. 

Q.  2.  Where  is  furnished  an  abstract,  or  brief  com- 
pend,  of  the  moral  law? 

A.     In  the  Ten  Commandments  enunciated  at  Sinai. 

Q.  3.  On  what  occasion  did  God  proclaim  this 
summary  of  man's  duty? 

A.  When  the  Israelites,  after  their  exodus  and  the 
passage  through  the  Red  Sea,  were  encamped  at  Sinai. 

Q.  4.  What  time  elapsed  between  the  setting  out  of 
the  Israelites  from  Egypt  and  the  delivery  of  the  law? 

A.  About  seven  weeks.  It  is  almost  certain  that 
the  proclamation  of  the  law  took  place  on  the  fiftieth  day 
from  the  beginning  of  the  outgoing  march.* 

Q.  5.  What  right  have  we  to  speak  of  the  com- 
mandments proclaimed  from  Sinai  as  ten  in  number,  or 
as  forming  the  "Decalogue"? 

A.  A  careful  scrutiny  would  seem  to  warrant  this 
enumeration,  but  the  point  is  determined  by  the  following 
texts:    Ex.  34:28;  Deut.  4:13;  10:4. 

Q.  6.  How  did  God  signalize  these  ten  precepts 
above  others  given  by  Him  at  Sinai? 

A.  a.  By  proclaiming  them  aloud  to  all  the  people 
of  Israel ;  whereas  the  directions  in  regard 
to  the  religious  ceremonies  and  civil  polity 
of  the  chosen  people  were  delivered  to 
Moses  privately,  and  through  him  to  the 
nation ; 

b.  The  Ten  Commandments  were  written  by 
God  on  two  tables  of  stone,  and  so  given 
to  Moses  for  preservation;  whereas  the 
other  precepts  were  only  recorded  by 
Moses  in  a  book.    Ex.  31  :i8; 

*See  Note  at  the  end  of  Question  XLI. 


212  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

c.  When  Moses,  shocked  by  the  disgraceful  con- 

duct of  the  people  and  to  witness  against 
their  breach  of  covenant,  cast  those  tables 
from  him  and  broke  them  (Ex.  32:19), 
God  directed  him  to  provide  two  other 
tables  of  stone;  and  on  these  the  Deca- 
logue was  inscribed  by  the  finger,  or 
power,  of  God.     Ex.  34:1,  4,  28; 

d.  Moreover,  direction  was  given  by  God  that 

those  tables  should  be  deposited  in  the 
ark,  the  most  sacred  article  of  furniture 
in  the  tabernacle,  and  there  accordingly 
were  they  placed  for  safe  keeping.  Ex. 
40:20;  Deut  10:1-5;  Heb.  9:4;  i  Kings 
8:9. 
Q.  7.  Why  were  the  Ten  Commandments  carved 
on  stone  tablets? 

A.  Doubtless  to  suggest  that  they  were  of  perpetual 
obligation ;  in  distinction  from  the  ceremonial  enactments. 
Q.  8.  Why  were  they  inscribed  on  two  tables? 
A.  Most  probably  to  make  obvious  the  two  great 
departments  of  duty,  namely,  that  which  we  owe  to  God 
directly,  and  that  to  which  He  binds  us  in  reference  to 
ourselves  and  our  fellow  creatures. 

Q.  9.  How  were  the  Commandments  distributed 
on  the  two  tables? 

A.  It  is  not  certain ;  but,  judging  by  the  logical 
affinity  of  these  precepts,  it  seems  probable  that  the 
first  four,  which  define  our  duty  more  directly  to  God, 
were  on  one  table,  and  the  remaining  six,  which  define 
our  duty  toward  ourselves  and  other  creatures,  were  on 
the  other  table. 

Q.  10.  What  view  as  to  the  distribution  of  the  Com- 
mandments has  long  and  widely  prevailed  among  the 
Jews? 

A.  That  the  Decalogue  was  equally  divided  be- 
tween the  two  tables,  five  precepts  in  their  regular  order 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  213 

being  on  each.  Some  high  authorities,  however,  among 
the  Jews  concur  in  the  view  which  has  been  expressed  in 
the  previous  answers. 

Q.  II.  How  do  Romanists  arrange  and  distribute 
the  Decalogue? 

A.  They  combine  what  we  call  the  First  Command- 
ment with  the  Second  Commandment,  numbering  the  re- 
sult as  the  first  precept.  Then,  in  order  to  make  out  ten 
commandments,  they  divide  the  Tenth,  reckoning  the 
first  clause,  "Thou  shalt  not  covet  thy  neighbor's  house," 
as  the  Ninth  Commandment,  and  the  remainder  as  the 
Tenth. 

Q.  12.  Is  there  a  reason  discoverable  why  Roman- 
ists should  seek  to  throw  the  Second  Commandment  into 
the  shade? 

A.  Yes.  Their  practice  in  the  matter  of  image  wor- 
ship cannot  well  bear  the  light  of  the  Second  Command- 
ment. 

Q.  13.  What  is  the  traditional  view  of  the  Jews  as 
to  the  first  precept  of  the  law? 

A.  What  we  call  the  "preface"  they  regard  as  the 
First  Commandment.  Then,  like  the  Romanists,  they 
combine  what  we  call  the  First  and  Second  Command- 
ments, and  this  combination  they  style  the  Second  Com- 
mandment. 

Q.  14.  Are  all  precepts  of  the  Decalogue  equally 
fundamental  ? 

A.  No.  Some  are  deeper  than  others.  For  instance, 
considerations  of  necessity  and  of  mercy  may  supersede, 
or  suspend  for  a  time,  the  prohibition  of  work  on  the 
Sabbath-day.    Matt.  12:3,  4;  Mark  2:24-28. 

Q.  15.  What  is  the  distinction  indicated  by  the  com- 
pound words,  "moral-natured"  and  "moral-positive"? 

A.  A  moral-natural  precept  is  one  which  proceeds 
from  the  very  nature  of  God,  and  not  merely  from  His 
"optional"  will,  and  of  which  we  may  have  some  knowl- 
edge by  the  light  of  nature. 


214  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A  moral-positive  precept  is  one  which  proceeds  from 
the  optional  will  of  God,  and  which  may  be  recalled  or 
modified. 

Q.  16.  Give  an  illustration  of  each  kind  of  com- 
mand? 

A.  The  Fourth  Commandment  is  moral-natural  in 
so  far  as  it  requires  that  we  devote  some  time  to  sacred 
services;  but  moral-positive  in  prescribing  one  day  in 
seven,  rather  than  one  day  in  five  or  ten,  or  any  other 
nurhber,  for  this  purpose.  The  ceremonial  and  judicial 
codes  were  very  largely  of  a  moral-positive  nature  and 
might,  therefore,  consistently  with  God's  character,  be 
changed,  or  abrogated  altogether. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Ex.  34:28;  Deut.  10:4;  Ex.  31  :i8;  40:20;  Deut.  10:1- 
5 ;  Heb.  9  -.4. 

Note. 

Many  of  the  Rabbinical  writers  have  maintained  that 
the  feast  of  Weeks,  or  of  Pentecost,  was  intended,  in  part 
at  least,  to  commemorate  the  giving  of  the  law.  To  say 
the  least,  there  is  a  striking  approach  to  coincidence  in 
regard  to  the  season  of  the  year  with  which  they  were 
identified. 

The  feast  of  Pentecost  occurred  on  the  fiftieth  day 
from  the  second  day  of  the  Passover  feast.  Lev.  23  :ii-i6. 
That  the  law  was  proclaimed  from  Sinai  on  the  fiftieth 
day  after  the  first  observance  of  the  Passover  can  be 
almost  conclusively  proved  thus : — 

1.  The  Israelites  began  their  journey  from  Egypt 
on  the  morning  of  the  15th  day  of  the  month  Nisan  (or 
Abib,  Ex.  13:4),  the  first  month  of  their  year.  Ex.  12:2; 

2.  On  the  first  day  of  the  third  month  the  refugee 
host  reached  Sinai  (Ex.  19:1)  ;  and,  allowing  30  days  for 
a  month,  we  can  say  that  45  days  intervened  between  the 
beginning  of  the  march  and  the  date  of  the  encampment 
at  Sinai; 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  215 

3.  On  the  day  after  reaching  Sinai,  that  is  on  the 
46th  day,  Moses  drew  near  to  God  and  received  instruc- 
tions about  the  approaching  manifestation; 

4.  Apparently  on  the  next  day,  that  is,  the  47th, 
Moses  drew  near  to  God  and  declared  to  Him  the  re- 
sponse of  the  people.    Ex.  19:8; 

5.  Seemingly  on  the  next  day,  the  48th,  God  di- 
rected Moses  to  go  down  and  instruct  the  people  to  make 
ready  on  that  day  and  the  following  for  the  great  event. 
Ex.  19:10; 

6.  Then  on  the  following  day,  the  50th,  God  pro- 
claimed the  law.    Ex.  19:16. 

It  is  the  office  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  enthrone  this  law 
in  the  hearts  of  men ;  and  it  was  on  the  day  of  Pentecost 
th'at  the  Spirit  was  given  in  unusual  power,  that  is,  50 
days  after  the  death  of  "Christ,  our  passover."  The  coin- 
cidence seems  to  be  more  than  casual. 


QUESTION  XLII. 

What  is  the  sum  of  the  Ten  Command- 
ments? 

ANSWER. 

The  sum  of  the  Ten  Commandments  is  to 
love  the  Lord  our  God  with  all  our  heart,  with 
all  our  soul,  with  all  our  strength,  and  with  all 
our  mind,  and  our  neighbor  as  ourselves. 

Q.  I.  Are  the  Ten  Commandments  a  condensed 
form  of  the  law  of  God? 

A.  Yes.  They  are  a  compend  of  rules,  each  of 
which  is  far-reaching  and  comprehensive,  intended  to 
regulate  the  thoughts  and  affections,  as  well  as  the  out- 
ward conduct. 

Q.  2.  Is  there  a  further  condensation  of  which  they 
admit? 

A.  Yes.  Such  a  condensation,  furnished  or  sanc- 
tioned by  Christ  Himself,  is  presented  in  the  answer 


216  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

under  notice.    See  Matt.  22:37-40;  Mark  12:29-31;  Luke 
10 :26-28. 

Q.  3.  In  Rom.  13:8-10  is  there  not  countenance 
given  to  the  view  that  the  sum  of  the  Ten  Command- 
ments is  to  love  our  neighbor  as  ourselves? 

A.  a.  Paul  is  in  this  passage  treating  directly  of 
love  due  to  our  fellowmen,  and  may  be 
understood  to  afBrm  that,  so  far  as  this 
department  is  concerned,  we  keep  the  law 
perfectly  when  we  love  our  neighbor  as 
ourselves; 

b.  No  one  but  he  who  loves  God  supremely  can 

love  his  neighbor  as  himself; 

c.  Such  is  the  unity  of  the  Commandments  that 

we  cannot  keep  one  of  them  aright  with- 
out keeping  them  all,  at  least  in  spirit. 
He  who  breaks  one  virtually  breaks  all, 
for  he  disobeys  the  one  central  authority 
which  underlies  all.  Jas.  2:10. 
Q.  4.  What  is  meant  by  the  accumulation  of  words, 
"heart,"  "soul,"  "strength,"  and  "mind"? 

A.  These  terms  are  meant  to  be  an  exhaustive  speci- 
fication of  all  our  faculties  and  powers. 

Q.  5.  Is  it  implied  in  the  summary  given  that  we 
should  love  ourselves? 

A.  Yes.  If  we  may  not  love  ourselves,  we  may 
not  love  our  neighbor.  Jas.  2:8;  Rom.  13:8-10;  Luke 
10:26-28. 

Q.  6.     But  is  not  self-love  selfishness? 
A.     An   inordinate   self-love,   that   is,   a  love  which 
disregards  or  depreciates  the  claims  of  God  and  of  our 
fellowmen,  is  selfishness  and  sin    (2  Tim.  3 :2)  ;  but  a 
properly  regulated  love  of  self  is  a  duty. 

Q.  7.  Must  we  love  our  neighbor  in  the  same  de- 
gree as  we  love  ourselves? 

A.  No;  but  we  are  to  love  him  as  we  are  to  love 
ourselves,  with  a  love  subordinate  to  that  due  to  God. 
The  love  to  ourselves  and  to  our  neighbor  is  to  be  a  re- 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  217 

stricted  love,  but  not  necessarily  equal  in  the  two  cases. 
Q.  8.     How  does  this  appear? 

A.  a.  It  is  a  man's  duty  to  seek  his  own  salvation 
first,  and  then  his  neighbor's.  On  the  day 
of  Pentecost  Peter  said  to  his  hearers, 
"Save  yourselves"; 
b.  On  the  same  principle,  it  is  a  man's  duty  to 
provide  for  his  own  especially,  i  Tim. 
5  :8.  So  also,  while  we  are  to  love  all  our 
fellowmen,  we  are  required  to  have  special 
love  to  some.  Gal.  6:io. 
Q.  g.     Who  is  our  neighbor? 

A.     Our  fellowman,  without  distinction  of  age,  sex, 
rank,  or  nation.    Luke  10:29-37. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Luke  10:26-28;  Gal.  6:10;  i  Tim.  5:8;  Jas.  2:10;  2 
Tim.  3 :2. 


QUESTION  XLIIL 

What  is  the  preface  to  the  Ten  Command- 
ments? 

ANSWER. 

The  preface  to  the  Ten  Commandments  is 
in  these  words :  "I  am  the  Lord  thy  God  Who 
have  brought  thee  out  of  the  Ismd  of  Egypt,  out 
of  the  house  of  bondage." 

Q.  I.  Is  the  Jewish  notion  admissible  that  these 
words  are  a  part  of  the  First  Commandment? 

A.  No;  these  words  present  considerations  fitted 
and  meant  to  enforce  the  other  Commandments  as  well 
as  the  First.  They  are  no  more  a  part  of  the  First  than 
of  the  Second,  or  of  any  other  of  the  Ten  precepts. 

Q.  2.  What  coloring  does  this  preface  take  from  the 
circumstances  in  which  the  law  was  proclaimed  from 
Sinai? 


218  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.  It  is  framed  with  a  direct  reference  to  the  recent 
experiences  of  the  Israelitish  people  to  whom  it  was  ad- 
dressed. 

Q.  3.  Is  there  a  sense  in  which  God  might  be  called 
the  covenant  God  of  the  entire  people  who  stood  before 
Him  at  Sinai? 

A.  Yes.  As  a  nation  they  had  just  experienced 
through  the  favor  of  God  a  marvelous  deliverance  from 
Egyptian  bondage.  They  were  thus  in  a  temporal  sense 
a  "redeemed"  people,  although  in  the  deeper  spiritual 
sense  many  of  them  were  "in  the  bond  of  iniquity."  In 
like  manner  God  is  in  covenant  with  the  visible  Church 
as  such,  although  many  of  its  members  are  still  in  their 
sins.    Rom.  2:28,  29. 

TEXTS   TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Deut.  5:1-3;  7:9-11;  Rom.  2:28-29. 


QUESTION  XLIV. 

■    What  doth  the  preface  to  the  Ten  Com- 
mandments teach  us? 

ANSWER. 

The  preface  to  the  Ten  Commandments 
teacheth  us  that  because  God  is  the  Lord,  cmd 
our  God  and  Redeemer,  therefore  we  are  bound 
to  keep  all  His  commandments. 

Q.  I.     What  is  the  general  nature  of  this  preface? 

A.     That  of  an  argument  to  induce  obedience. 

Q.  2.  What  considerations  conducive  to  this  end 
does  it  embrace? 

A.  These  are  three  in  number,  namely,  God's  sover- 
eignty. His  covenant  relation,  and  His  gracious  inter- 
position as  a  deliverer. 

Q.  3.     How  is  the  sovereignty  of  God  announced? 

A.  In  the  name  of  "Lord,"  that  is,  Jehovah,  which 
points  to  self-existence  and  unchangeableness. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  219 

Q.  4.     How  is  the  covenant  relation  intimated? 

A.     In  the  expression  "thy  God." 
Q.  5.     How  is  God's  gracious  character  as  a  Saviour 
suggested? 

A.  In  the  words,  "Who  have  brought  thee  out  of  the 
land  of  Egypt,  out  of  the  house  of  bondage." 

Q.  6.  What  was  typified,  or  foreshadowed,  by  the 
deliverance  of  the  Israelites  from  Egypt? 

A.  The  redemption  of  sinners  by  Christ  from  the 
guilt  and  bondage  of  sin.  i  Cor.  5:7;  i  Pet.  1:19;  2:24; 
3:18. 

Q.  7.  Was  there  in  the  giving  of  the  law  at  Sinai 
a  renewal  of  the  covenant  of  works? 

A.  No.  The  tenor  of  the  covenant  of  works  was 
"Do  and  live."  That  of  the  Sinai  covenant  was  "Live  and 
Do."  There  was  an  evangelical  undertone  in  the  promul- 
gation of  the  law  from  Sinai.  The  deliverance  experi- 
enced by  the  Israelitish  nation  is  adduced  as  a  motive 
to  obedience,  just  as  in  Rom.  12:1  mercy  shown  by  God 
is  brought  forward  as  a  fact  fitted  to  constrain  believers 
to  devote  themselves  to  Him. 

Q.  8.  Is  the  Decalogue,  then,  obligatory  on  none 
but  believers  in  Christ? 

A.  No.  God  is  the  Lord  in  Whom  all  men  have 
their  being  and  to  Whom  they  owe  implicit  obedience. 
But  the  redeemed  and  regenerated  are  under  special  obli- 
gation to  render  themselves  to  Him  as  His  servants.  Rom. 
12:1 ;  I  Cor.  6:20;  I  Pet.  i  :i7-2o.  They  owe  to  God  their 
being  doubly;  first,  their  natural  existence,  and,  second, 
their  spiritual  standing.  They  are  the  Lord's  both  as 
creatures  and  as  redeemed  creatures. 

TEXTS   TO  BE  COMMITTED   TO  MEMORY. 

I  Cor.  5:7;  I  Pet.  I  :i9;  2:24;  Rom.  12:1 ;  i  Cor.  6:20; 
I  Pet.  I  -.17-20. 


220  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

QUESTION  XLV. 

Which  is  the  First  CommcUidment? 

ANSWER. 

The  First  Commandment  is:     "Thou  shalt 
have  no  other  gods  before  Me." 

Q.  I.  How  many  of  the  Ten  Commandments  are 
negative  in  form? 

A.  All  of  them  except  the  Fifth.  Of  the  Fourth  it 
may  be  said  that  it  is  both  positive,  or  affirmative,  and 
negative. 

Q.  2.  How  many  of  them  contain  an  express 
promise? 

A.     Two,  namely,  the  Second  and  the  Fifth. 
Q.  3.     How  then  can  it  be  said  in  Eph.  6:2  that  the 
Fifth  is  "the  first  commandment  with  promise"  ? 

A.  There  are  two  ways  of  explaining  this  state- 
ment. 

a.  It  may  mean  that  in  the  second  table,  or  di- 
vision, of  the  law  the  Fifth  is  the  first 
commandment  with  promise  annexed  ex- 
pressly ; 
h.  It  may  mean  that  the  Fifth  is  the  first,  it  may 
be  added,  the  only  one,  of  the  Ten  which 
has  a  promise  attached  to  it  distinctively. 
In  the  Second  Commandment  there  is  a 
promise  made  to  those  who  keep  all  the 
Commandments.      This    second    explana- 
tion seems  preferable. 
Q.  4.     State  some  rules  for  the  interpretation  of  the 
Decalogue. 

A.  These  are  admirably  summarized  in  "The  Larger 
Catechism,"  and  may  be  compendiously  expressed  as  fol- 
lows : 

a.  The  law  is  to  be  regarded  as  perfect,  and  as 
demanding  perfection ; 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  221 


&,.  The  law  is  "spiritual"  in  this  sense  that  it  is 
intended  to  regulate  the  thoughts  and  af- 
fections of  the  soul,  as  well  as  the  out- 
ward conduct; 

c.  Different  Commandments  may  enjoin,  or  for- 

bid, the  same  thing  in  different  aspects. 
For  example  slander,  which  is  a  direct 
breach  of  the  Ninth  Commandment,  may 
also  be  a  violation  of  the  Fifth,  Sixth,  and 
Eighth  precepts; 

d.  A  positive  precept  implies  a  negative,  and  a 

negative  a  positive; 

e.  A  promise  implies  a  threat,  and  a  threat  a 

promise ; 
/.  "Under  one  sin  or  duty  all  of  the  same  kind 
are   forbidden,   or   commanded;   together 
with  all  the  causes,  means,  occasions,  and 
appearances     thereof,    and    provocations 
thereunto." 
Q.  5.     In  the  first  table  of  the  law,  what  seems  to 
be  the  order  of  thought? 

A.  The  First  Commandment  indicates  the  only 
proper  object  of  worship :  it  forbids  polytheism.  The 
Second  Commandment  lays  down  the  regulative  principle 
of  worship  :  it  forbids  idolatry.  The  Third  Commandment 
prescribes  the  proper  spirit  of  worship :  it  forbids  pro- 
fanity. The  Fourth  Commandment  appoints  the  special 
time  of  worship :  it  enjoins  the  observance  of  stated  sea- 
sons of  worship. 

Q.  6.  Is  there  a  resemblance  in  structure  between 
the  Decalogue  and  the  Lord's  Prayer? 

A.  Yes.  In  both  the  matters  which  directly  con- 
cern the  glory  of  God  occupy  the  foreground. 

TEXTS   TO  BE  COMMITTED   TO   MEMORY. 

Eph.  6:2;  Rom.  7:7,  14;  8:3;  Jas.  2:8-11. 


222  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

QUESTION  XLVI. 

What  is  required  in  the  First  Command- 
ment? 

ANSWER. 

The  First  Commandment  requireth  us  to 
know  and  acknowledge  God  to  be  the  only  true 
God,  and  our  God,  and  to  worship  and  glorify 
Him  accordingly. 

Q.  I.  What  are  the  chief  duties  enjoined  in  this  pre- 
cept? 

A.  a.  To  know  God ;  b.  To  recognize  Him  as  the 
only  true  God ;  c.  To  confess  Him  to  be  our  God ;  d.  To 
render  to  Him  corresponding  homage  and  obedience. 

Q.  2.     How  can  man  know  God,  an  infinite  being? 

A.  He  can  know  Him  apprehensively,  but  not  com- 
prehensively. In  other  words,  man  may  know  not  only 
that  God  is,  but  also  what  He  is,  although  imperfectly. 
Jer.  9:24;  Rom.  i  :  19-21 ;  Job,  11  7;  Is.  40:28. 

Q.  3.  Does  not  incompleteness  characterize  our 
knowledge  even  of  the  creatures  of  God,  or  of  any  one 
of  them? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  4.     May  our  knowledge  of  God  grow  continually? 

A.     Yes.     Hosea  6:3;  2  Pet.  3:18. 

Q.  5.  What  is  essential  to  a  correct  knowledge  of 
God  on  our  part? 

A.  The  illuminating  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
Jno.  3:3;  Eph.  1:17,  18. 

Q.  6.  What  is  the  blessing  involved  in  this  know- 
ledge? 

A.     Eternal  life  in  its  high  sense.    Jno.  17:3. 

Q.  7.  Does  God  claim  in  this  Commandment  to  be 
the  only  true  God? 

A.  Yes.  He  debars  our  having,  that  is,  recognizing, 
any  other  than  Himself  as  God. 

Q.  8.  Are  there  any  claimants  to  the  homage  due  to 
God  alone? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  223 

A.  Yes,  many.  a.  There  have  been,  and  are,  the 
spurious  deities  of  heathenism,  the  pro- 
ducts of  the  foolish  heart  of  man  ; 

h.  The  world,  in  the  form  of  power  and  pleasure, 
acquires  in  the  hearts  of  men  the  place 
due  to  God  alone.  Covetousness  is  called 
idolatry.  Col.  3  :5 ; 

c.  Satan  seeks  to  usurp  the  throne  of  God.  2  Cor. 
4 :4 ;  Eph.  2 :2 ;  6  :i  i ;  i  Thess.  2:18;  i  Tim. 

5:15- 

Q.  9.     What  is  meant  by  having  God  as  our  God? 

A.  It  is  to  recognize  Him  in  our  hearts  and  lives  as 
worthy  of  our  utmost  reverence,  trust,  love,  and  obedi- 
ence.   Ps.  73 :25,  26. 

Q.  10.  Is  this  the  attitude  of  any  but  true  believers 
in  Christ? 

A.     No.    John  14:6;  I  Tim.  2:5;  i  John  2:3. 

Q.  II.  Are  edl  those  who  are  destitute  of  true  faith 
in  Christ  atheists  practically,  if  not  theoretically? 

A.    Yes.     Eph.  2:12;  i  Jno.  2:22,  23;  2  Jno.  v.  9. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Jer.  9:24;  Hos.  6:3;  Rom.  1:19-21;  Eph.  1:17,  18;  2 
Cor.  4 :4 ;  Col.  3  :5 ;  Ps.  73  :25,  26 ;  Eph.  2  :i2. 


QUESTION  XLVII. 

What  is  forbidden  in  the  First  Command- 
ment? 

ANSWER. 

The  First  Commandment  forbiddeth  the  de- 
nying, or  not  worshiping  and  glorifying,  the 
true  God  as  God  and  our  God,  and  the  giving 
that  worship  and  glory  to  any  other  which  is 
due  to  Him  alone. 

Q.  I.     Specify  some  things  forbidden  in  this  precept. 
A.    a.  Speculative,   or   theoretical,   atheism,   or   the 

denial    of    the    existence    of    a    supreme 

Being; 


224  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

b.  The   refusal,  or   practical   failure,   to  render 

homage  to  such  a  Being,  if  acknowledged 
to  exist; 

c.  The  failure  to  recognize  and  claim  as  our  God 

such  a   Being,  to  the   exclusion  of  all 
others. 
Q.  2.     Does  God  in  the  preface  to  the  Ten  Com- 
mandments propose  Himself  to  us  as  our  God? 
A.     Yes ;  He  says  "I  am  the  Lord  thy  God." 
Q.  3.     Is  this  a  warrant  to  us  to  claim  God  as  our 
God? 

A.     Yes.     It  involves  both  a  warrant  and  an  obliga- 
tion so  to  do, 

Q.  4.     What  considerations  should  induce  us  to  make 
this  claim? 

A.  £h  It  is  right  to  take  God  as  He  offers  Himself. 
Not  to  do  so  is  insulting  to  Him ; 
b.  It  is  profitable  also;  for  he  who  has  God  has 
an  unfailing  and  all-sufficient  portion. 
Deut.  33:29;  Ps.  31:14;  48 '.14;  Is.  41:10; 
Lam.  3  124. 

TEXTS   TO  BE   COMMITTED   TO  MEMORY. 

Ps.  5  :i I,  12 ;  48  :i4 ;  65  -.4 ;  7^  -.2$,  26 ;  Is.  41  :io ;  Lam. 
3:24. 


QUESTION  XLVIII. 

What  are  we  specisdly  taught  by  these 
words  "before  Me"  in  the  First  Commandment? 

ANSWER. 

These  words  "before  Me"  in  the  First  Com- 
mandment teach  us  that  God,  Who  seeth  all 
things,  taketh  notice  of,  and  is  much  displeased 
with,  the  sin  of  having  any  other  god. 

Q.  I.     Does  the  word  "before"  in  this  Command- 
ment signify  "in  preference  to"? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  225 

A.  No.  It  means  "in  presence  of."  The  literal 
rendering  of  the  Hebrew  expression  is  "upon  (or  before) 
My  face." 

Q.  2.  Is  this  language  fitted  to  suggest  the  daring 
nature  of  the  conduct  described? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  3.     Is  the  face  of  God  everywhere? 

A.     Yes.     Ps.  139:7. 

Q.  4.  Is  there  room  anywhere  for  the  lawful  wor- 
ship in  a  religious  sense  of  any  being  but  Jehovah? 

A.     No.     Is.  42:8;  44:8;  45:5,  6;  46:  9;  Matt.  4:10. 

Q.  5.  In  the  secrecy  of  the  heart  can  such  lawless 
worship  be  hidden? 

A.     No.     Ps.  139;  2,  3;  Eccl.  12:14;  Heb.  4:12,  13. 

Q.  6.  Answer  the  objection  that  God  is  too  great 
a  Being  to  be  concerned  about  our  disregard  of  Him. 

A.  It  is  just  because  He  is  so  great  that  He  notices 
the  minutest  things.  The  objection  belittles  Him,  and 
in  doing  so  makes  little  of  sin. 

TEXTS   TO  BE   COMMITTED   TO  MEMORY. 

Ps.  139:2,  3,  7;  Is.  42:8;  45:5,  6;  Eccl.  12:14;  Heb. 
4:12,  13. 


QUESTION  XLIX. 
Which  is  the  Second  Commandment? 

ANSWER. 

The  Second  Commandment  is:  "Thou 
shalt  not  make  unto  thee  any  graven  image,  or 
any  likeness  of  anything  that  is  in  heaven  above, 
or  that  is  in  the  earth  beneath,  or  that  is  in  the 
water  under  the  earth ;  thou  shalt  not  bow  down 
thyself  to  them,  nor  serve  them ;  for  I  the  Lord 
thy  God  am  a  jealous  God,  visiting  the  iniquity 
of  the  fathers  upon  the  children  unto  the  third 
and  fourth  generation  of  them  that  hate  Me,  and 
showing  mercy  unto  thousands  of  them  that  love 
Me  and  keep  My  commandments." 


226  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  I.     What  is  the  special  object  of  this  precept? 

A.     To  regulate  the  mode  of  external  worship. 

Q.  2.  Does  it  specify  expressly  the  forms  to  be 
used  in  worship? 

A.  No.  The  precept  is  negative  in  form,  prohibit- 
ing explicitly  the  use  of  images  or  pictures  as  means  of 
worship. 

Q.  3.     What  is  implied  in  this  Commandment? 

A.  That  it  pertains  to  God  alone  to  appoint  out- 
ward methods,  or  means,  of  worship. 

Q.  4.  Is  it  implied  that  we  may  devise  according  to 
our  taste  ways  of  worship,  images  and  pictures  excepted? 

A.  No.  These  exceptions  are  representative,  not 
exhaustive,  being  mentioned  as  samples,  not  as  being  the 
only  forms  that  are  unlawful,  just  as  in  the  Sixth  Com- 
mandment hatred,  as  well  as  murder,  of  our  fellow-men  is 
interdicted. 

Q.  5.  What  tendency  on  the  part  of  man  is  presup- 
posed and  guarded  against  in  this  precept? 

A.  The  tendency  to  substitute  the  instrument,  or 
means,  of  worship  for  the  proper  object  of  worship,  that 
is,  God  Himself. 

TEXTS   TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Lev.  26:1;  Deut.  4:15-19;  Ps.  977. 


QUESTION  L. 

What  is  required  in  the  Second  Command- 
ment? 

ANSWER. 

The  Second  Commandment  requireth  the 
receiving,  observing,  and  keeping  pure  and  en- 
tire, all  such  religious  worship  and  ordinances  eis 
God  hath  appointed  in  His  Word. 

Q.  I.     What  is  it  to  "receive"  the  worship  and  or- 
dinances appointed  by  God  in  His  Word? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  227 

A.  It  is  to  recognize  them  as  divinely  appointed  and 
as  suited  to  our  condition. 

Q.  2.  What  is  it  to  "observe"  such  worship  and 
ordinances? 

A.  It  is  to  render  hearty  homage  to  God  in  the 
ways  indicated  by  Himself,  and  because  He  prescribes 
them, 

Q.  3.  What  is  meant  by  "keeping  pure  and  entire" 
the  worship  and  ordinances  appointed  by  God? 

A.  The  keeping  of  them  as  appointed,  neither  add- 
ing to  them,  nor  taking  from  them.  Deut.  12:32;  Matt. 
28:20;  I  Cor.  II  :23. 

Q.  4.  Is  restriction  of  this  kind  incompatible  with 
liberty? 

A.  No.  So  far  from  this,  it  is  the  very  guardian  of 
freedom,  being  a  protection  against  the  domination  of 
man  by  man. 

Q.  5.     Is  God  alone  the  Lord  of  the  conscience? 

A.     Yes.     Matt.  15:9;  28:20;  Deut.  12:32;  Acts  5:29. 

TEXTS   TO  BE  COMMITTED   TO   MEMORY. 

Deut.  12:32;  Matt.  15:9;  28:20;  Acts  5:29;  i  Cor. 
11:23. 


QUESTION  LI. 

What  is  forbidden  in  the  Second  Command- 
ment? 

ANSWER. 

The  Second  Commandment  forbiddeth  the 
worshiping  of  God  by  images  or  any  other  way 
not  appointed  in  His  Word. 

Q.  I.     Against  what  is  this  precept  directly  leveled? 

A.  Against  the  employment  of  any  tangible,  or 
visible,  likeness  of  God  in  His  worship,  and  even  the 
making  of  any  such  figure  of  Him. 


228  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  2.  What  is  the  fundamental  principle  of  this 
precept? 

A,     It  is  that  God  is  to  be  worshiped  according  to 
His  own  direction,  and  not  according  to  man's  devisings. 
Q.  3.     In  regard  to  the  law  of  worship  what  is  the 
Roman  Catholic  view? 

A.  It  is  that  God  may  be  worshiped  in  any  way  not 
forbidden  in  Scripture,  incUisive  of  the  Apocrypha. 

Q.  4.  What  view  on  this  point  is  held  by  the 
Lutherans  and  Protestant  Episcopalians? 

A.  It  is  that  any  mode  of  worship  not  forbidden  in 
Scripture  is  lawful. 

Q.  5.  How  does  this  latter  view  differ  from  the 
Romish  view? 

A.  Only  in  this,  that  Romanists  recognize,  while 
Protestants  reject,  the  Apocrypha  as  a  part  of  the  rule 
of  faith. 

Q.  6.  How  may  the  view  that  positive  Divine  pre- 
scription is  requisite  to  warrant  any  form  of  worship  be 
denominated? 

A.  The  Calvinistic,  or  Puritan,  view ;  as  it  was  dis- 
tinctly enunciated  by  Calvin,  Knox,  and  other  Reformers, 
and  became  a  characteristic  feature  of  the  Puritan  move- 
ment. 

Q.  7.  Present  proof  that  appointment  by  God  is  a 
prerequisite  of  lawful  worship. 

A.  a.  In  Deut.  12:32  God  expressly  forbids  adding 
to,  or  taking  from.  His  enactments  as  to 
worship.  Corresponding  to  this  is  the 
charge  given  by  our  Lord  to  His  dis- 
ciples to  teach  men  to  observe  all  things 
whatsoever  He  had  commanded.  Matt. 
28 :2o ; 
b.  The  sin  for  which  Nadab  and  Abihu  were 
struck  dead  was  their  presuming  to  use 
strange  fire  in  offering  incense  to  God, 
that  is,  fire  which  He  had  not  appointed 
to  be  used  in  that  service.    Lev.  10:1-3; 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  229 

c.  In  keeping  with  this  is  the  fact  that  one  item 

in  the  charge  brought  against  Jeroboam, 
the  son  of  Nebat,  is  his  daring  to  change 
the  date  of  the  observance  of  the  Feast  of 
Tabernacles  from  the  7th  to  the  8th  month 
of  the  year,    i  Kings  12:32,  33; 

d.  It  may  be  added  that  this  seemingly  rigorous 

treatment  is  the  best  security  against  the 
tyranny  of  man  in  the  sphere  of  worship. 
It  is  better  in  this  matter  to  fall  into  the 
hands  of  God  than  into  the  hands  of  man. 
This  is  a  law  of  liberty. 
Q.  8.  Is  the  use  by  Romanists  of  images  and  pic- 
tures in  worship  at  variance  with  this  precept? 

A.  It  is,  being  a  method  of  worship  never  appointed 
by  God.* 

Q.  9.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  does  not  the  Romish  use 
of  these  alleged  "aids  to  devotion"  lead  to  the  worship 
of  the  aids,  rather  than  of  God  ? 

A.  There  can  be  no  reasonable  doubt  that  such  is 
the  tendency  and,  in  many  cases,  the  effect  of  such  use. 

Q.  10.  Does  this  Commandment  debar  all  exercise 
of  the  sculptor's,  founder's,  or  painter's  art? 

A.  No;  only  so  far  as  concerns  the  direct  worship 
of  God. 

Q.  II.  Are  all  attempts  to  represent  the  persons  of 
the  Godhead  in  figures,  or  colors,  forbidden  in  this  pre- 
cept? 

A.     Yes.     Deut.  4:15-19;  Acts  17:25,  29. 
Q.  12.     Is  it  right  to  make  pictures  of  Christ  as  man? 
A.     a.  To  make  them  for  purposes  of  worship,  or  as 
aids  of  worship,  would  be  in  direct  con- 
flict with  the  Second  Commandment ; 
b.  To  make  them  merely  as  artistic  expressions 
of  our  conceptions  as  to  His  bodily  like- 
ness is,  to  say  the  least,  of  very  question- 

*See  Note  at  the  end  of  Question  LI. 


230  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

able  propriety,  and,  if  questionable,  not  per- 
missible. To  abstain  from  the  making-  of 
such  likenesses  is  not  sinful.  When  two 
alternatives  are  set  before  us,  one  of  which 
is  certainly  right  and  the  other  of  doubt- 
ful propriety,  we  should  choose  the 
former. 

Q.  13.  What  considerations  may  be  urged  to  prove 
that  the  making  of  likenesses  of  Christ  is  at  least  of 
doubtful  propriety? 

A.  a.  It  is  certain  that  God  has  given  no  command 
to  make  such  likenesses ; 

b.  It  is  equally  certain,  and  very  suggestive,  that 

no  description  of  the  bodily  appearance  of 
Christ  is  given  in  Scripture.  There  seems 
to  be  a  studied  silence  in  sacred  writ  on 
this  point; 

c.  It  was  the  desire  of  Christ  to  be  remembered 

in  the  world;  but  to  accomplish  this.  He 
provided  that  inspired  accounts  of  His 
life,  death,  and  teachings  should  be  given 
forth,  and  that  His  death  should  be 
through  the  symbolic  ordinance  of  the 
Supper  held  in  remembrance.  Not  by  the 
brush,  or  pencil,  or  chisel  of  the  artist  was 
it  provided  that  the  name  of  Christ  should 
be  perpetuated; 

d.  Even  the  Supper,  guarded  as  it  is  against  per- 

version, has  been  made  an  occasion  of 
idolatry,  just  as  the  brazen  serpent  was. 
2  Kings  18:4. 

Q.  14.  It  may  be  said  that  Christ  did  manifest  Him- 
sel  as  man  and  that,  if  no  idolatry  resulted  from  that  man- 
ifestation, a  picture  of  Him  would  not  be  perilous.  An- 
swer this  cavil. 

A.  a.  No  true  likeness  of  Christ,  as  man,  now  ex- 
ists, or  is  attainable;  this  is  a  clear  proof 
that  the  attempt  to  depict  His  bodily  ap- 
pearance is  destitute  of  Divine  sanction ; 


THE  SHORTER   CATECHISM  231 

b.  Christ,  being  God  as  well  as  man,  the  worship 

of  Him  when  He  appeared  in  our  nature 

was  proper;   but   a   picture   or   image   of 

Christ  is  neither  God  nor  man. 

Q.  15.     Is  it  proper  to  use  any  figure,  such  as  an  eye, 

or  a  dove,  as  a  symbol  of  God,  or  of  any  person  of  the 

Trinity? 

A.  No.  Deut.  4:15-19,  23,  24.  The  symbol  in  this 
case  is  apt  to  supplant  the  original  which  it  is  used  to  rep- 
resent, at  least  to  foster  gross  conceptions  of  the  Deity. 

TEXTS   TO  BE   COMMITTED   TO  MEMORY. 

Deut.  4:15-19;  12:32;  Acts  17:29;  I  Kings  12:32,  33; 
Matt.  15  :6,  9. 


Note. 

Romanists  maintain  that  of  religious  worship  there 
are  three  grades,  to  which  respectively  they  give  the 
names  "dulia,"  "hyperdulia,"  and  "latria,"  which  are 
Greek  words  in  Latin  form. 

"Dulia"  is  that  veneration,  or  religious  homage, 
which,  according  to  the  Popish  faith,  may  properly  be 
given  to  saints  and  angels;  while  "hyperdulia"  is  that 
higher  form  of  religious  homage  to  which  the  mother  of 
Jesus  is  entitled;  and  "latria"  is  that  worship  which  is 
due  to  God  alone. 

In  regard  to  these  distinctions  it  may  be  remarked : 

a.  That  they  are  too  fine  to  be  observed  by  the 
great  mass  of  men.  How  can  one  determine  whether  or 
not  his  "dulia"  may  not  be  passing  into  "hyperdulia,"  and 
this  again  into  "latria"? 

b.  To  saints  and  angels  Romanists  render  a  worship 
which  presupposes  the  possession  of  Divine  attributes  by 
the  objects  worshiped; 

c.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  homage  paid  to  Mary 
by  Romanists  far  exceeds  both  in  volume  and  apparent 
fervor  that  which  they  render  to  God.  Hymns  are  ad- 
dressed to  her;  and  even  the  inspired  Psalter  has  been 


232  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

tampered  with  and  perverted  by  the  blasphemous  substi- 
tution of  the  name  of  Mary  for  that  of  God.  The  author 
of  this  profane  parody,  Bonaventura,  is  honored  as  an 
eminent  saint  by  Roman  CathoHcs; 

d.  The  quibbles  to  which  Romanists  feel  forced  to 
resort  in  self-defense,  when  charged  with  idolatry,  are 
much  the  same  as  were,  and  are,  used  by  the  heathen 
charged  with  worshiping  "stocks  and  stones" ; 

e.  The  Bible  gives  no  support  to  the  notion  that 
there  are  different  grades  of  religious  worship.  It  is  ad- 
mitted that  in  Scripture  the  word  "worship"  is  used 
sometimes  to  denote  such  civil  respect  or  courtesy  as  may 
be  shown  to  men,  as  well  as  homage  due  to  God  only. 
Matt.  18:26;  Luke  14:10;  Matt.  4:10;  Rev.  22:9.  But 
when  worship  in  a  religious  sense  is  mentioned  in  Scrip- 
ture, no  degrees  are  attributed  to  it.  The  distinctions 
of  "dulia,"  "hyperdulia,"  and  "latria"  are  foreign  to  the 
Word  of  God.  The  act  of  "bowing  down"  in  the  spirit  of 
religious  worship  to  any  being,  or  object,  but  God  is  for- 
bidden distinctly  in  the  Second  Commandment  and 
frowned  upon  in  all  the  sacred  volume. 

The  treatment  of  Matt.  4:10  by  Romanists  is  worthy 
of  their  cause.  That  verse,  they  contend,  favors  their 
position,  which  is,  that  while  worship  of  the  nature  of 
"latria"  belongs  to  God  alone,  there  is  a  sort  of  religious 
homage  not  to  be  limited  to  Him.  In  reply  to  the  Tempt- 
er's daring  proposition  that  Christ  should  worship  him, 
our  Lord  says,  "Get  thee  hence,  Satan,  for  it  is  written, 
'Thou  shalt  worship  (proskuneseis)  the  Lord,  thy  God, 
and  Him  only  shalt  thou  serve"  (latreuseis).  Here  Papists 
raise  the  quibble  that  while  others  than  God  may  be  re- 
ligiously "worshiped,"  He  alone  may  be  "served,"  that  is, 
worshiped  in  the  way  of  "latria" ;  for  the  word  translated 
"served"  is  kindred  to  the  word  "latria."  But  the  falsity 
of  this  interpretation  is  obvious  from  the  fact  that  Satan 
had  not  asked  for  "latria,"  but  for  "proskimesis,"  or  wor- 
ship; and  had  Christ  meant  what  Romanists  say  He  did, 
namely  that  worship,  but  not  that  called  "latria,"  might  be 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  233 

rendered  to  others  than  God,  His  answer  would  have 
been  no  rebuke  to  the  Tempter's  towering  arrogance.  It 
is  beyond  reasonable  dispute  that  our  Lord's  reply  was 
meant  to  declare  that  religious  worship  must  be  re- 
stricted to  God  only. 

Accordingly  when  John,  in  his  vision,  proposed  im- 
pulsively to  worship  the  angel  who  conferred  with  him 
(Rev.  22:8,  9),  his  movement  was  quickly  arrested  by  the 
angel's  words,  "See  thou  do  it  not.  I  am  a  fellow-servant 
with  thee  and  with  thy  brethren,  the  prophets,  and  with 
them  which  keep  the  words  of  this  book :  worship  God." 
In  this  last  clause  the  meaning  certainly  is,  "worship  God 
only,"  and  the  doctrine  which  the  entire  incident  war- 
rants and  demands  is  that  religious  worship  is  to  be  con- 
fined to  God  alone  as  its  object. 


QUESTION  LII. 

What  are  the  reasons  annexed  to  the 
Second  Commandment? 

ANSWER. 

The  reasons  annexed  to  the  Second  Com- 
mandment are  God's  sovereignty  over  us,  His 
propriety  in  us,  and  the  zeal  He  hath  to  His  own 
vi^orship. 

Q.  I.  What  considerations,  meant  and  fitted  to  en- 
force it,  are  embraced  in  this  precept? 

A,  Three  facts :  namely,  God's  absolute  authority ; 
His  ownership  of  all  men ;  and  the  importance  He  at- 
taches to  His  own  worship. 

Q.  2.     Hov^'  is  God's  absolute  authority  announced? 

A.  In  the  name  "Lord"  or  Jehovah  which  He  ap- 
propriates to  Himself. 

Q.  3.  What  is  there  in  this  name  to  suggest  the 
supreme  authority  of  Him  Who  bears  it  rightfully? 


234  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.  Radically  it  denotes  the  Self-existent  One,  Him 
Who  has  in  Himself  alone  the  reason  of  His  Being  and 
of  all  His  acts;  Who  is  consequently  unchangeable. 
Mai  3  :8.  This  is  the  incommunicable  name  of  God.  Ps. 
83:18;  Is.  42:8. 

Q.  4.  How  is  God's  ownership  of  us  set  forth  in 
this  precept? 

A.  Both  in  the  words,  "I  am  the  Lord,"  and  those 
appended,  "thy  God." 

Q.  5.  How  is  this  ownership  suggested  by  the 
clause  "thy  God"? 

A.  To  be  a  God  to  any  one  is  to  be  his  master  and 
entitled  to  his  implicit  obedience. 

Q.  6.  How  is  God's  concern  for  His  own  worship 
indicated  in  this  Commandment? 

A.     In  the  declaration  "I  am  a  jealous  God." 

Q.  7.     How  is  this  statement  to  be  understood? 

A.  It  rests  on  the  conception  that  between  God  and 
His  people  there  is  a  relation  resembling  in  its  closeness 
that  subsisting  between  husband  and  wife.  God  can  ad- 
mit no  rival  in  our  afifections ;  and  in  regard  to  the  wor- 
ship suitable  to  Him,  He  alone  is  competent  to  determine. 
To  accept  dictation  from  any  other  in  this  matter  is  dis- 
loyalty to  Him. 

Q.  8.  Is  there  a  disposition  on  the  part  of  men  to 
think  that  in  the  matter  of  His  worship  God  is  not  very 
strict  ? 

A.  Yes,  even  at  the  foot  of  Sinai,  and  with  the  Ten 
precepts  still  lingering  in  their  ears,  the  Israelites  grossly 
violated  this  Second  Commandment. 

Q.  g.  To  deter  from  a  breach  of  the  Second  Com- 
mandment, or  indeed  of  any  of  the  Commandments,  what 
consideration  does  God  present? 

A.  The  fact  that  punishment  shall  overtake  the 
transgressor,  and  descend  from  parent  to  child,  as  the  sin- 
ful tendency  is  likely  to  go  down  to  successive  gen- 
erations. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  235 

Q.  10.  If  the  child  of  wicked  parents  do  not  copy 
their  evil  example,  but  turn  from  it,  will  the  penalty  here 
threatened  come  upon  him? 

A.  No.  Every  one  who  truly  repents  shall  be  for- 
given ;  but  the  likelihood  of  repentance  is  less  in  the  case 
of  the  offspring  of  wicked  parents  than  in  the  case  of 
others. 

Q.  II.  What  direct  motive  to  obedience  is  held 
forth  in  this  Commandment? 

A.  God's  abundant  mercy  to  those  who  love  and 
obey  Him. 

Q.  12.  Does  the  word  "thousands"  refer  to  indi- 
viduals? 

A.     No.     It  refers  to  generations. 

Q.  13.     Why  should  it  be  so  understood? 

A.  a.  Because  in  this  way  the  contrast  with  the  pre- 
vious clause,  "third  and  fourth  genera- 
tion," is  better  exhibited ; 
h.  Because,  elsewhere,  the  expression,  "a  thou- 
sand generations,"  occurs  in  a  similar  con- 
nection.    Deut.  7:9, 

Q.  14.  Is  it  not  evident  from  the  tone  of  this  pre- 
cept that  the  tendency  in  men  to  corrupt  the  worship  of 
God  is  both  strong  and  fraught  with  evil? 

A.  Yes;  and  the  history  of  the  Church  in  all  ages 
affords  sad  proof  to  the  same  effect. 

TEXTS   TO   BE   COMMITTED   TO  MEMORY. 

Mai.  3:8;  Is.  42:8;  Ps.  83:18;  Ezek.  18:19-21;  Deut. 
7:9- 


QUESTION  LIII. 

Which  is  the  Third  Commandment? 

ANSWER. 

The  Third  Commandment  is:  "Thou  shalt 
not  take  the  name  of  the  Lord  thy  God  in  vain ; 
for  the  Lord  will  not  hold  him  guiltless  that  tak- 
eth  His  name  in  vain." 


236  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  I.     What  is  the  general  aim  of  this  precept? 

A.     To  inculcate  reverence  for  God. 

Q.  2.  Does  it  naturally  follow  the  two  preceding 
precepts? 

A.  Yes.  The  object,  the  mode,  and  the  spirit  of 
religious  homage  are  it-ems  in  natural  sequence. 

Q.  3.  Is  reverence  for  God  incumbent  on  us  only 
in  the  exercises  of  direct  worship? 

A.  No.  Habitual  reverence  toward  God  should 
mark  us ;  but  especially  should  we  be  so  affected  in 
prayer,  praise,  and  kindred  exercises. 

TEXTS   TO  BE   COMMITTED   TO  MEMORY. 

Eccl.  5  :i,  2;  Ps.  84:1,  2;  86:11,  12;  96:9;  99:9;  123:1, 


QUESTION  LIV. 

What  is  required  in  the  Third  Command- 
ment? 

ANSWER. 

The  Third  Commandment  requireth  the 
holy  and  reverent  use  of  God's  names,  titles,  at- 
tributes, ordinances,  Word,  and  works. 

Q.  I.  Mention  the  names  most  frequently  given  to 
God  in  the  Scriptures? 

A.     God,  Lord,  Jehovah,  Father,  Almighty. 

Q.  2.     How  do  titles  differ  from  names? 

A.  Titles  are  expressions  descriptive  of  God's  rela- 
tions to  His  creatures,  while  His  names  set  forth  especial- 
ly what  He  is  in  Himself.  The  distinction,  however,  be- 
tween these  two  words  is  not  very  clearly  marked. 

Q.  3.  Mention  some  of  the  titles  given  in  Scripture 
to  God. 

A.  The  Holy  One  of  Israel ;  The  God  of  Peace ;  The 
Father  of  Mercies ;  God  Most  High ;  Lord  God  of  Hosts. 
Ps.  89:18;  Heb.  13:20;  2  Cor.  1:3;  Ps.  9:2;  80:4. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  237 

Q.  4.     What  is  an  attribute  of  God? 

A.     An  inseparable  quality  of  His  essence. 

Q.  5.     Mention  some  of  the  attributes  of  God. 

A.  Self-existence ;  spirituality ;  eternity ;  immuta- 
bility ;  omnipresence ;  omniscience ;  omnipotence ;  holi- 
ness; justice;  goodness;  and  truth. 

Q.  6.     Name  some  of  God's  ordinances. 

A.  Civil  government;  church  government;  prayer; 
praise;  preaching;  fasting;  vowing;  solemn  swearing; 
beneficence. 

Q.  7.     What  is  the  Word  of  God? 

A.  The  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ments. 

O.  8.     What  are  the  works  of  God? 

A.  His  operations  in  producing,  preserving,  and 
ruling  the  universe. 

Q.  g.  When  may  we  be  said  to  make  "a  holy  and 
reverent  use  of  God's  name^,  titles,  attributes,  ordinances, 
Word,  and  works"? 

A.  When  we  use  them  for  ends,  and  in  a  way,  ap- 
proved by  Him,  and  with  a  habitual  sense  of  His  glori- 
ous majesty,  of  our  dependence  upon  Him,  and  of  our 
accountability  to  Him  for  all  our  thoughts,  words,  and 
acts.     I  Cor.  10:31;  Matt.  12:36;  15:8;  i  Pet.  3:15. 

TEXTS   TO  BE   COMMITTED   TO   MEMORY. 

Ps.  89:18;  9:2;  80:4;  I  Cor.  10:31;  Matt.  12:36. 


QUESTION  LV. 

What  is  forbidden  in  the  Third  Command- 
ment? 

ANSWER. 

The  Third  Commandment  forbiddeth  all 
profaning  or  abusing  of  anything  whereby  God 
maketh  Himself  known. 

Q.  I.     How  may  profanity  be  displayed? 


238  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.     a.  By  a  contemptuous,  or  a  light  and  frivolous, 
use  of  the  names  of  God; 

b.  By  perverting  ordinances  of  God  to  ends  for 

which  they  were  not  appointed ; 

c.  By  employing  for  unholy  purposes  any  of  the 

powers  of  our  being,  or  any  of  the  creat- 
ures of  God. 
Q.  2.     What  forms  may  a  contemptuous,  or  a  light 
and  frivolous,  use  of  God's  names  assume? 

A.  These  may  be  various,  the  most  noteworthy 
being  as  follows : 

a.  Blasphemy,  or  the  malignant,  or  thoughtless, 

use  of  the  names  of  God  in  conversation, 
or  writing; 

b.  False  swearing,  in  which  the  name  of  God  is 

used  to  support  a  lie; 

c.  Needless  swearing  even  under  the  forms  of 

civil  law; 

d.  Unmeaning  repetitions,  especially  of  the  Di- 

vine names,  in  exercises  of  worship ; 

e.  The  use  of  Scripture,  or  of  sacred  things,  for 

the  purpose  of  making  merriment,  or  for 
other  than  holy  ends ; 
/.  Heedlessness  when  the  Word  of  God  is  read 
or  preached. 
Q.  3.     What  is  the  tendency  of  the  use  of  profane 
language  in  ordinary  speech? 

A.  To  beget  in  both  speaker  and  hearer  disregard 
of  the  Divine  Being. 

Q.  4.  Wherein  appears  the  aggravated  nature  of 
this  sin? 

A.  In  the  fact  that  it  is  a  useless  and  wanton  dis- 
respect to  our  creator  and  preserver,  the  infinitely  glori- 
ous God.  Men  gain  nothing  by  it,  as  they  may  for  a 
time  by  some  other  forms  of  sin,  as,  for  instance,  steal- 
ing. 

Q.  5.  Are  not  the  approaches  to  this  sin,  in  the 
form  of  half  oaths,  or  hinted  oaths,  to  be  carefully  shun- 
ned? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  239 

A.  Yes;  in  these  disguises  the  poison  of  profanity- 
lurks,  and  against  them  Hes  the  solemn  warning  in  Matt. 

5 :34-37- 

Q.  6.  Is  false  swearing,  or  swearing  to  a  falsehood, 
a  violation  of  the  Third  Commandment? 

A.     Yes,  and  of  the  Ninth  also. 

Q.  7.  In  what  respect  is  false  swearing  forbidden 
in  the  Ninth  Commandment? 

A.     In  respect  to  its  untruthfulness. 
Q.  8.     In  what  respect  is  false  swearing  forbidden 
in  the  Third  Commandment? 

A.  In  respect  to  its  irreverence ;  God  being  virtual- 
ly called  upon  to  sustain  a  lie  as  truth.  Thus  the  Com- 
mandments overlap  and  corroborate  each  other. 

Q.  9.  In  swearing  judicially,  what  things  are  to 
be  kept  in  view? 

A.     a.  That  we  svv^ear  by  God  alone,  the  All-seeing 
One,    and    not    by    saints,    or    any    mere 
creature.    Deut.  10:20;  Josh.  23:7;  Is.  65: 
16;  Jer.  12:10; 
h.  That  we  swear  in  exact  accordance  with  the 
truth,  or  our  apprehension  of  it.    Lev.  19 : 
12;  6:3;  Ps.  15:4;  Zech.  5:4; 
c.  That  we  swear  for  a  holy  and  important  end, 
not  for  frivolous,   much   less   for   unholy, 
purposes.     Heb.  6:16. 
Q.  10.     In  what  respects  are  the  oaths  required  by 
certain  secret  associations  unlawful? 

A.  a.  The  ends  professedly  in  view  do  not  warrant 
the  use  of  an  oath ; 
h.  The  oath  is  unlawful  because  it  is  meant  to 
bind  him  who  takes  it  to  conceal  certain 
things  not  yet  revealed  to  him,  and 
which,  for  aught  he  knows,  it  might  be 
sinful  for  him  to  keep  secret ; 
c.  It  is  at  least  questionable  whether  any  one 
but  a  functionary  representing  the  State 
or  the  Church  has  a  right  to  administer 
an  oath. 


240  AM  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  II.  Are  there  not  some  who  object  to  swearing 
for  any  end? 

A.  Yes.  Quakers  (or  Friends),  Mennonites,  and 
some  others  do  so  object. 

Q.  12.     On  what  grounds  do  they  object? 

A.  Chiefly  on  the  ground  that  in  Matt.  5  :34-37  and 
Jas.  5:12  all  swearing  seems  to  be  forbidden. 

Q.  13.  Present  some  considerations  adverse  to  the 
Quaker  view. 

A.  a.  Swearing  solemnly  in  the  name  of  God  was 
certainly  practiced  with  Divine  approval 
in  Old  Testament  times.  See  Gen.  14: 
22;  24:2,  3,  9;  50:5,  25;  Lev.  19:12;  Deut. 
6:13;  Matt.  26:63,  64; 
b  In  swearing  there  is  nothing  of  a  ceremonial 
nature  to  warrant  the  conception  that  it 
was  meant  to  pass  away  at  the  death  of 
Christ ; 

c.  More  than  once  the  Apostle  Paul,  writing  by 

inspiration,  adopts  the  language  virtual- 
ly of  an  oath  in  confirmation  of  his  state- 
ments. Rom.  9:1;  2  Cor.  1:18;  11:10;  i 
Tim.  2:7; 

d.  In  Heb.  6:16  the  custom  and  object  of  swear- 

ing in  judicial  cases  are  mentioned  with 
manifest  approval.  When  put  under  oath, 
our  Lord  did  not  refuse  to  testify.  Matt. 
26 :63,  64 ; 

e.  The  swearing  which  our   Lord  condemns   in 

Matt.  5  :34-37,  and  against  which  warning 
is  given  in  Jas  5:12,  is  profane  swearing, 
which,  in  certain  forms,  was  prevalent 
among  the  Jews.  The  specimens  given 
by  our  Lord  are  of  this  nature,  such  as 
swearing  by  one's  head,  by  the  temple,  or 
by  Jerusalem. 
Q.  14.     In  what  form  should  em  oath  be  taken? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  241 

A.  Not  by  kissing  a  Bible,  as  is  very  common,  but 
by  lifting  up  the  hand  in  token  of  appeal  to  God,  while 
uttering  the  words  of  the  oath.  This  form  has  Divine 
sanction,  and  the  gesture  is  in  itself  expressive.  Dan'l. 
12:7;  Gen.  14:22;  Rev.  10:5.  6. 

Q.  15.  May  not  this  Commandment  be  broken  in 
the  exercises  of  praise  and  prayer? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  16.     How  may  it  be  broken  in  these  exercises? 

A.  a.  By  engaging  in  them  in  a  careless  way,  the 
majesty  of  Him  Who  is  professedly  ad- 
dressed not  being  considered ; 

b.  By    a    needless    and    unmeaning   use    of    the 

names  of  God ;  these  being  introduced 
rather  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  up  a 
continuous  sound,  than  for  the  enforce- 
ment of  the  petitions  presented; 

c.  By  the  repetition  of  lines,  or  words,  in  sing- 

ing, simply  for  the  sake  of  music,  thus 
making  the  music,  rather  than  the  senti- 
ment, the  controlling  consideration.  This 
offense  is  specially  aggravated  when  com- 
mitted in  the  singing  of  the  inspired 
Psalter.  It  is  a  virtual  declaration  that 
we  can  improve  songs  given  by  God ;  and 
is  essentially  one  with  the  method  of 
"vain  repetition,"  which  is  unlawful  in 
prayer.  Matt.  6:7. 
Q.  17.  Is  the  use  of  Scripture  for  jesting  purposes 
forbidden  in  this  Commandment? 

•   A.     Assuredly  so.     Those  who  are  rightly  affected 
rather  tremble  at  God's  Word.     Is.  66:2. 

Q.  18.  Is  the  use  made  by  the  Masonic  and  some 
other  societies  of  models  to  represent  the  ark  of  the 
covenant,  the  dress  of  the  Levitical  priests,  and  other  ap- 
pointments of  the  ancient  ritual,  a  violation  of  this  pre- 
cept? 


242  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.  Yes.  It  would  have  been  daring  impiety  on  the 
part  of  the  Israelites  to  treat  as  common  the  sacred  ap- 
pointments of  God;  and  not  less  so  is  it  now  to  attempt 
a  reproduction  of  these,  whether  for  purposes  of  amuse- 
ment or  of  worship. 

Q.  19.  Is  not  this  travesty  of  sacred  things  a  suffi- 
cient reason  for  avoiding  and  condemning  any  society 
guilty  of  it? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  20.  Do  games  of  chance,  so  called,  constitute  an 
abuse,  or  a  perversion,  of  a  Divine  ordinance? 

A.  There  is  some  reason  to  think  so;  not  perhaps 
conclusive,  but  sufficiently  strong  to  justify  caution. 

Q.  21.  Of  what  Divine  ordinance  are  such  games  a 
probable  profanation,  or  perversion? 

A.     The  ordinance  of  the  lot. 

Q.  22.  According  to  Scripture,  what  is  the  ordi- 
nance of  the  lot? 

A.  It  is  a  form  of  solemn  appeal  to  God  to  decide 
a  point  of  duty  which  we  feel  incompetent  to  determine. 

Q.  23.  Is  the  lot  to  be  used  for  determining  an  ab- 
stract question,  or  a  doctrine  of  religion? 

A.  No.  The  Scriptures  alone  are  to  be  the  rule 
of  faith  and  morals  to  us.     2  Tim.  3:16,  17. 

Q.  24.  In  what  circumstances  may  recourse  be  had 
to  the  lot  for  decision  of  questions? 

A.  Not  when  the  object  is  to  decide  as  to  a  doc- 
trine, or  a  line  of  policy;  but  in  selecting  a  person  for 
some  important  post,  or  in  settling  a  dispute,  when  both 
parties  agree  to  accept  the  decision  whatever  it  may  be. 
Acts  1:24-26;  Prov.  16:33;  18:18. 

Q.  25.  If  ever  used,  ought  not  the  lot  to  be  cast 
reverently  and  prayerfully? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  26.  Are  so-called  games  of  chance,  such  as  card- 
playing,  allowable? 

A.     No. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  243 

Q.  27.  What  objections  may  lawfully  be  urged 
against  them? 

A.  a.  They  may,  and  often  do,  lead  to  a  great 
waste  of  time; 

b.  They  are  apt  to  induce  betting,  or  gambling; 

c.  The  curse  of  God  seems  to  attach  to  indulg- 

ence in  such  games.  They  are  closely 
associated  with  the  financial  and  moral 
ruin  of  many; 

d.  In  a  game  of  chance  there  is  a  virtual  appeal 

made  to  some  being,  or  power,  to  give  a 
decision  in  our  favor.  If  to  God,  then 
the  appeal  should  be  made  in  a  spirit  of 
reverence  and  prayer,  and  for  a  proper 
end.  If  to  some  other  power,  then  this 
is  to  recognize  some  power  independent 
of,  or  superior  to,  God,  Who  yet  tells  us 
that  when  the  lot  is  cast  into  the  lap  "the 
whole  disposing  thereof  is  of  the  Lord." 
Prov.  16:33. 

Q.  28.  How  may  we  profane,  or  abuse,  God's  dis- 
covery of  Himself  to  us  in  the  works  of  creation? 

A.  a.  By  allowing  the  works  to  hide  from  us  the 
worker; 

b.  By  turning  the  creatures  of  God  into  engines 

of  war  against  Him  ; 

c.  By  perverting  them  to  our  own  injury,  or  to 

that  of  others. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Heb.  6:16;  Deut.  10:20;  Prov.  16:33;  18:18;  Jas.  5: 
12. 


QUESTION  LVI. 

What  is  the  reason  annexed  to  the  Third 
Commandment? 


244  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

ANSWER. 

The  reason  annexed  to  the  Third  Com- 
mandment is  that  however  the  breakers  of  this 
Commandment  may  escape  punishment  from 
men,  yet  the  Lord  our  God  will  not  suffer  them 
to  escape  His  righteous  judgment. 

Q.  I.  How  many  of  the  Ten  Commandments  have 
a  threat  expressly  annexed  to  them? 

A.     Two,  namel}^,  the  Second  and  the  Third. 

Q.  2.  How  many  have  a  promise  expressly  annexed 
to  them? 

A.     Two,  namely,  the  Second  and  the  Fifth. 

Q.  3.  Why  is  a  threat  clearly  appended  to  the 
Second  and  Third  precepts? 

A.  Perhaps,  because  men  might  be  disposed  to  re- 
gard with  peculiar  toleration  breaches  of  these  Com- 
mandments. 

Q.  4.  Are  there  many  forms  of  the  profanation  of 
God's  name  which  human  laws  cannot  reach? 

A.  Yes;  and  hence  there  is  the  greater  need  of  an 
explicit  warning  by  God  in  such  cases. 

Q.  5.  Is  it  proper  to  use  fear  of  punishment  for  dis- 
obedience as  a  motive  to  obedience? 

A.  Yes.  God  in  His  Word,  and  even  in  the  De- 
calogue, does  so. 

Q,  6,  But  is  fear  of  punishment  for  disobedience  to 
be  the  chief  motive  to  obedience? 

A.  No.  Love  to  God  for  His  supreme  excellence 
and  also  for  His  relation  to  us  as  our  creator  and  bene- 
factor should  be  the  chief  motive  impelling  us  to  obey 
Him  in  all  things.     Matt.  23:37-39;  Rom.  13:10. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

,    Ps.  9:16;  59:12,  13;  99:3;  Matt.  23:37-39. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  245 

QUESTION  LVII. 
Which  is  the  Fourth  Commandment? 

ANSWER. 

The  Fourth  Commandment  is:  "Remem- 
ber the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy.  Six  days 
shalt  thou  labor  and  do  all  thy  work,  but  the 
seventh  day  is  the  Sabbath  of  the  Lord  thy 
God ;  in  it  thou  shalt  not  do  any  work,  thou,  nor 
thy  son,  nor  thy  daughter,  thy  manservant,  nor 
thy  maidservant,  nor  thy  cattle,  nor  thy 
stranger  that  is  within  thy  gates ;  for  in  six  days 
the  Lord  made  heaven  and  earth,  the  sea,  and  all 
that  in  them  is,  and  rested  the  seventh  day; 
wherefore  the  Lord  blessed  the  Sabbath  day  and 
hallowed  it." 

Q.  I.     What  truths  underlie  this  Commandment? 

A.     a.  That  our  Creator  allots  us  our  time  in  this 
world ; 
h.  That,  therefore,  it  belongs  to  Him  to  dictate 
how  it  shall  be  spent. 
Q.  2.     What  is  the  force  of  the  word  "remember," 
with  which  this  Commandment  is  introduced? 

A.     a.  It  seems  to  imply  that  the  Sabbath  was  not 
a  new  ordinance,  but  one  already  made 
known ; 
h.  It  may  be  meant  to  suggest  our  liability  to 
forget    the    claims   of   the    Sabbath   as   a 
sacred  season. 
Q.  3.     To  whom  is  this  precept  particularly  address- 
ed? 

A.  To  heads  of  families,  directing  them  to  keep,  and 
to  use  their  authority  and  influence  to  have  others  keep, 
one  day  in  seven  peculiarly  sacred. 

Q.  4.     What  is  the  import  of  the  word  "Sabbath?" 
A.     This    word    is    transferred    with    slight    change 
from  the  Hebrew  to  our  language,  and  means  "rest." 


246  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  5.  Should  not  this  name,  rather  than  the  name 
"Sunday,"  be  employed  to  designate  the  sacred  day? 

A.  Yes.  The  word  "Sunday"  comes  to  us  from 
ancient  Paganism,  in  which  the  worship  of  the  sun  held 
a  prominent  place. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Deut.  4:19;  17:3;  Gen.  2:2,  3. 


QUESTION  LVIII. 

What  is  required  in  the  Fourth  Command- 
ment? 

ANSWER. 

The    Fourth    Commandment   requireth   the 
keeping  holy  to  God  such  set  time  as  He  hath 
'      appointed  in    His   Word,    expressly   one   whole 
day  in  seven  to  be  a  holy  Sabbath  to  Himself. 

Q.  I.  What  is  the  duty  directly,  or  explicitly,  en- 
joined in  this  precept? 

A.  The  observing-  of  one  day  in  every  seven  days 
as  specially  sacred ;  not  the  observing  of  every  seventh 
minute,  hour,  week,  month,  or  year ;  but  of  one  complete 
day  in  every  seven  days. 

Q.  2.  Does  this  commandment  imply  that  it  is  law- 
ful for  us  to  forget  God  on  any  day  except  the  Sabbath? 

A.  No;  but  only  that  on  one  day  in  seven  we  shall 
give  ourselves  specially  to  the  worship  and  service  of 
God. 

Q.  3.  What  great  principle  is  suggested  in  this 
precept? 

A.  That  it  pertains  to  God  alone  to  appoint  "set," 
or  stated,  seasons  for  sacred  ends. 

Q.  4.  Aside  from  the  weekly  Sabbath,  were  there 
any  fixed  religious  seasons  appointed  by  God  before  the 
prescription  of  the  Passover  observance? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  247 

A.     None,  so  far  as  is  known  to  us. 

Q.  5.  Were  there  any  such  seasons  appointed  in  the 
Mosaic  economy? 

A.  Yes,  several ;  particularly  the  Passover ;  the 
Feast  of  Weeks,  or  of  Pentecost ;  the  Feast  of  Taber- 
nacles; and  the  great  Day  of  Atonement,  each  of  which 
came  once  a  year. 

Q.  6.  In  the  New  Testament  dispensation  is  there 
any  day  except  the  weekly  Sabbath  appointed  by  God 
to  be  held  peculiarly  sacred? 

A.     None  whatever. 

Q.  7.  Is  it  not  a  daring  intrusion  upon  the  preroga- 
tive of  God  to  appoint  as  a  stated  religious  festival  any 
other  day  or  season,  such  as  Christmas  or  Easter? 

A.  It  is  an  impeachment  of  the  wisdom  of  God  and 
an  assertion  of  our  right  and  ability  to  improve  on  His 
plans. 

Q.  8.  Is  it  lawful  to  appoint  a  day  of  thanksgiving, 
or  of  humiliation,  as  circumstances  may  seem  to  call  for 
it? 

A.  Yes;  for  such  occasional,  not  stated,  appoint- 
ments there  is  Divine  warrant.  Joel  1:14;  Neli.  9:1;  12: 
2y;  Acts  13:1-3. 

Q.  g.  Is  the  Popish  practice  of  stated  fasting,  as  on 
every  Friday  and  during  the  season  called  "Lent," 
countenanced  in  Scripture? 

A.  No ;  fasting  in  New  Testament  times  as  a  re- 
ligious observance  is  not  to  be  regulated  by  the  almanac, 
but  by  the  spiritual  condition  of  him  who  fasts. 

Q.  10.  Was  there  not  a  "set"  day  of  fasting,  how- 
ever, prescribed  to  the  Israelites? 

A.  Yes ;  the  tenth  day  of  the  seventh  month  was 
appointed  by  God  to  be  observed  by  them  as  a  day  of 
fasting  and  humiliation.  But  that  appointment  has 
lapsed,  and  the  general  law  which  regulates  worship 
abides. 

Q.  II.     Is  it  unlawful  to  appoint,  as  churches  gener- 


248  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

ally  do,  a  certain  day,  weekly  or  monthly,  beside  the  Sab- 
bath, on  which  to  meet  for  prayer  and  other  religious 
exercises? 

A.  No.  The  time  so  agreed  upon  is  appointed  not 
as  sacred  time,  but  as  time  convenient  for  holding  a 
meeting  for  religious  purposes,  and  as  changeable  ac- 
cording to  circumstances. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Ex.  23:14-17;  Lev.  16:29-31;  23:3. 


QUESTION  LIX. 

Which  day  of  the  seven  hath  God  appointed 
to  be  the  weekly  Sabbath? 

ANSWER. 

From  the  beginning  of  the  world  to  the 
resurrection  of  Christ  God  appointed  the  seventh 
day  of  the  week  to  be  the  weekly  Sabbath,  and 
the  first  day  of  the  week  ever  since,  to  continue 
to  the  end  of  the  world,  which  is  the  Christian 
Sabbath. 

Q.  I.  When  was  the  ordinance  of  the  Sabbath 
given  to  man? 

A.  Immediately  on  his  creation,  and  before  his  fall. 
Gen.  2:1-3;  Mark  2:27. 

Q.  2.  Was  not  man  created  in  perfect  harmony 
with  the  law  afterwards  given  from  Sinai? 

A.  Yes,  so  far  as  the  essence  of  the  law  is  concern- 
ed.    Eccl.  7:29. 

Q.  3.  Was,  then,  the  law  of  the  Sabbath,  in  com- 
mon with  other  moral  requirements,  enthroned  in  the 
heart  of  man  in  his  very  creation? 

A.  Yes,  so  far  as  the  Fourth  Commandment  is 
"moral-natural,"  that  is,  so  far  as  it  binds  us  to  devote 
our  time  as  God  dictates,  it  has  a  place  in  man's  moral 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  249 

constitution.  But  so  far  as  the  duty  of  rendering  special- 
ly one  day  in  seven  to  God  is  concerned,  the  Fourth 
Commandment  is  "moral-positive,"  and  needed  to  be  ex- 
plicitly revealed  to  man  after  his  creation. 

Q.  4.     What   evidence    is    there    that    the    Sabbath 
ordinance  given  to  man  at  his  creation  was,  as  to  its  es- 
sence, intended  to  bind  the  race  till  the  end  of  time? 
A.     a.  The  date    of    the    enactment    indicates    that, 
like  the  law   of   marriage,    it    was    meant 
for  the  race,  and   not    merely   for   a   par- 
ticular nation,  or  tribe.     Gen.  2:1-3,  24; 
Matt.  19:5; 

b.  It   was    subsequently   embodied    in    the    Ten 

precepts  proclaimed  by  God  on  Sinai ; 
which  set  forth  the  duty  of  men  at  large, 
and  not  of  Israelites  only; 

c.  In  token  of  the  permanent  obligation  of  the 

Decalogue,  it  was  written  on  stone  by 
"the  finger  of  God";  and  of  this  Deca- 
logue the  Fourth  Commandment  is  a 
conspicuous  feature; 

d.  Our  Lord   declared   that   "the    Sabbath    was 

made  for  man,"  not  for  Jews  only,  but 
"for  man."    Mark  2 :2y ; 

e.  Man's  need  of  a  Sabbath  is  not  less  now  than 

in  earlier  times,  but  rather  greater  in  con- 
sequence of  the  increasing  intensity  of 
modern  life ; 

f.  The  proved  helpfulness  of  this  weekly  rest  is 

confirmatory  of  the  view  that  it  is  of  Di- 
vine origin  and  of  permanent  obligation. 
Q.  5.     Is  the   keeping   of    the  first  day  of  the  week 
now,  instead  of  the  seventh,  as  the  Sabbath  sanctioned  in 
Scripture  ? 

A.  Yes.  Various  lines  of  evidence  conduct  to  this 
conclusion.  The  argument  in  favor  of  the  change  is 
cumulative. 

Q.  6.     What  are  the  chief  items  of  this  argument? 


250  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 


A.  a.  Suggestive  prominence  is  given  in  the  Old 
Testament  to  the  eighth  day,  that  is,  the 
first  day  after  seven  days,  or  after  a  week 
of  days.  Gen.  17:12;  Lev.  12:3;  14:10; 
23:16,  39;  Num.  29:35;  Ezek.  43:27; 

b.  The  completion  of  creative  work  was  signal- 

ized by  the  setting  apart  of  the  seventh 
day  as  Sabbath,  It  seems  fitting  that 
the  achievement  of  redemption,  a  greater 
work,  should  be  distinguished  by  a  com- 
memorative day.  But  the  day  of  Christ's 
resurrection  was  that  on  which  His  work 
of  redemption  was  recognized  as  com- 
plete ;  and  that  was  the  first  day  of  the 
week.  Mark  16:9;  Luke  24:7,  46;  i  Cor. 

15:4; 

c.  The  deliverance  of  the  Israelites  from  Egypt, 

which  was  typical  of  redemption  by 
Christ,  was  distinguished  by  a  Divine  di- 
rection that  the  month  in  which  it  oc- 
curred should  rank  as  the  first  month  of 
the  year.  To  make  the  day  of  Christ's 
resurrection  the  beginning  of  the  week 
would  seem  equally,  or  more,  appropri- 
ate,    Ex.  12:2; 

d.  Emphasis  seems  to  be   laid   by   the    inspired 

writer,  John,  on  the  fact  that  on  two  first 
days,  namely,  the  day  of  His  resurrection, 
and  a  week  from  that  day,  Christ  appear- 
ed to  the  company  of  His  disciples.  John 
20:19,  26. 

e.  The  day  of  Christ's  resurrection  was  that  on 

which  He  was  declared  to  be  "the  head- 
stone of  the  corner,"  But  that  was 
prophetically  announced  as  the  day  of  the 
Lord's  making,  on  which  His  people 
would  "rejoice  and  be  glad."'  Ps.  118:22- 
24:  Acts  4:10,  II. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  251 

/.  The  friends  of  Christ  in  apostolic  times  and 
with  apostolic  sanction  were  wont  to 
meet  for  worship  on  the  first  day  of  the 
week.  Acts  20:7;  i  Cor.  16:1,  2.  But 
why  on  that  day,  if  not  in  commemora- 
tion of  the  resurrection  of  their  Lord? 
And  this  practice  must  gradually  have 
supplanted  the  observance  of  the  seventh 
day  of  the  week.  The  Decalogue  does 
not  require,  nor  sanction,  the  observance 
of  two  Sabbaths  each  week; 

g.  The  expression  "Lord's  day,"  which  occurs 
in  Rev.  i  :io,  seems  to  indicate  some  day 
peculiarly  related  to  Christ,  just  as  the 
ordinance  of  the  Supper  is  specially  re- 
lated to  Him;  for  the  word  translated 
"Lord's"  is  used  in  i  Cor.  11:20  to  char- 
acterize the  "Supper,"  and  only  in  these 
two  texts  is  it  employed  in  the  New 
Testament. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Gen.  2:1-3;  Mark  2:27;  Gen.  17:12;  John  20:19,  26; 
Acts  20:  7;  I  Cor.  16:1,  2;  Rev.  1:10. 


QUESTION  LX. 

How  is  the  Sabbath  to  be  sanctified? 

ANSWER. 

The  Sabbath  is  to  be  sanctified  by  a  holy 
resting  all  that  day,  even  from  such  worldly  em- 
ployments and  recreations  as  are  lawful  on  other 
days,  and  spending  the  whole  time  in  the  public 
and  private  exercises  of  God's  worship,  except 
so  much  as  is  to  be  taken  up  in  the  works  of 
necessity  and  mercy. 


252  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  I.  In  what  different  senses  is  the  word  "sanc- 
tify" used  in  Scripture? 

A.  a.  To  make  inwardly  and  outwardly  conform- 
able to  the  law  of  God.'  John  17:17;  i 
Cor.  6:11;  Eph.  5:26;  I  Thess.  5:23; 

b.  To  devote,  or  set  apart,  to  sacred  ends.     In 

this  sense  it  is  used  a  multitude  of  times 
in  the  Old  Testament.  Lev.  27:14-18. 
The  tabernacle  and  temple  with  their 
vessels,  the  priests  and  their  vestments, 
were  said  to  be  "holy,"  or  sanctified. 

c.  To  recognize  as  holy  and  entitled   to  rever- 

ence.    Lev.  10:3;  Is.  8:13;  I   Pet.  3:15. 

Q.  2.  In  which  of  these  meanings  is  the  word  used 
in  this  question  of  the  Catechism? 

A.  In  the  second ;  not  to  make  holy  in  a  moral 
sense,  for  only  a  moral  agent  can  be  so  made  holy ;  but 
to  devote,  or  dedicate,  to  holy  purposes. 

Q.  3.  How  is  the  Sabbath  to  be  sanctified  negative- 
ly? 

A.  By  abstinence  from  worldly  engagements, 
whether  of  the  nature  of  business,  or  of  pleasure. 

Q.  4.  Is  mere  cessation  from  customary  secular 
pursuits  an  adequate  observance  of  the  Sabbath? 

A.     No.     It  must  be  a  holy  resting. 

Q.  5.     What  kind  of  resting  is  that? 

A.  It  is  a  resting  according  to,  and  because  of,  the 
command  of  God. 

Q.  6.  Is  a  holy  resting  compatible  with  much  ac- 
tivity ? 

A.     Yes.     It  even  implies  activity. 

Q.  7.     What  kind  of  activity  does  it  imply? 

A.  Employment  of  the  time  in  sacred  thoughts  and 
exercises.     Is.  58:13,  14. 

Q.  8.  How  may  the  exercises  of  worship  be  classi- 
fied? 

A.     As  public  and  private. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  253 

Q.  9.  What,  in  general,  are  the  public  exercises  of 
worship  to  which,  in  part,  the  Sabbath  should  be  de- 
voted ? 

A.  Those  to  be  observed  in  the  assemblies  of  God's 
people,  such  as  prayer,  the  singing  of  psalms,  the  hearing 
of  the  Word  read  and  expounded,  the  observance  of  the 
sacraments. 

Q.  10.  What  are  the  private  exercises  of  God's 
worship  ? 

A.  Reading  the  Scriptures  and  other  writings  fitted 
to  explain  and  commend  them,  prayer  and  praise,  medi- 
tation and  conversation  about  Divine  things,  together 
with  famil}'  instruction. 

Q.  II.     What  are  works  of  necessity? 

A.  Such  as  are  required  by  the  Divine  law,  or  as 
cannot  be  omitted  without  doing  violence  to  the  law ;  as 
for  instance,  the  use  and,  to  some  extent,  the  prepara- 
tion of  food;  the  travel  necessary  for  attendance  on 
public  worship. 

Q.  12.     What  are  works  of  mercy? 

A.  Those  dictated  by  the  philanthropy,  or  love  to 
man,  which  the  law  of  God  enjoins ;  such  as  waiting  upon 
the  sick;  employing  means  for  their  relief  and  recovery; 
lending  aid  in  cases  of  distress  which  may  suddenly  oc- 
cur ;  and  undergoing  labor  necessary  to  convey  to  the 
perishing  the  bread  of  life. 

Q.  13.  Mention  some  ways  in  which  many  even  of 
professing  Christians  break  the  Sabbath. 

A.  By  worldly,  or  idle,  conversation;  by  reading 
secular  books  and  papers;  by  social  visiting;  by  giving, 
or  attending,  parties ;  by  writing  letters  on  worldly  mat- 
ters; by  walking  or  riding  for  mere  pleasure;  and  by 
entertaining  worldly,  though  not  intrinsically  sinful, 
thoughts.     Lev.  23:3;  Neh.  13:15;  Is.  58:13,  14. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Lev.  10:3;  Is.  58:13,  14;  Neh.  13:15;  Matt.  24:20. 


254  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

QUESTION  LXI. 

What  is  forbidden  in  the  Fourth  Command- 
ment? 

ANSWER. 

The  Fourth  Commandment  forbiddeth  the 
omission  or  careless  performance  of  the  duties 
required,  and  the  profaning  the  day  by  idleness 
or  doing  that  which  is  in  itself  sinful,  or  by  un- 
necessary thoughts,  words,  or  works  about 
worldly  emplo5anents  or  recreations. 

Q.  I.     Indicate  in  a  summary  way  things  forbidden 
in  this  Commandment? 

A,     a.  The  failure  to  do  what  should  be  done  on  the 
Sabbath ; 

b.  The  heartless  doing  of  the  things  required. 

Matt.  15:8; 

c.  Mere  indolence ; 

d.  Needless   attention    to   things   in   themselves 

right.     Neh.  13:15-17;  Is.  58:13,  14; 

e.  Doing  things  intrinsically  wrong. 

Q,  2.     Is  not  the  entertaining  of  evil  thoughts,  de- 
sires, and  purposes  more  sinful  if  done  on  the  Sabbath? 
A.     Yes.    In  such  a  case  the  sin  is  aggravated. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Neh.  13:15-17;  Is.  58:13,  14;  Matt.  15:8. 


QUESTION  LXII. 

What  are  the  reasons  annexed  to  the  Fourth 
Commandment  ? 

ANSWER. 

The  reasons  annexed  to  the  Fourth  Com- 
mandment are  God's  allowing  us  six  days  of 
the  week  for  our  own  employments.  His  chal- 
lenging a  special  propriety  in  the  seventh,  His 
own  example,  and  His  blessing  the  Sabbath  day. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  255 

Q.  I.     How  many  reasons  are  here  specified? 

A.  Four,  namely :  God's  grant  of  time  for  secular 
uses;  His  claim  specially  to  one  day  in  seven;  His  ex- 
ample; and  the  blessing  attached  to  the  Sabbath. 

Q.  2.  Do  we  not  owe  our  being  and,  of  course,  all 
our  time  to  God? 

A.  Yes.  "In  Him  we  live  and  move  and  have  our 
being,"    Acts  17:28. 

Q.  3.  Are  we  at  liberty  to  spend  any  day  of  the 
week,  or  any  minute,  as  if  it  were  our  own,  and  in  prac- 
tical forgetfulness  of  God? 

A.  We  can  do  so ;  but  we  have  no  right  to  do  so. 
I  Cor.  10:31. 

Q.  4.  How,  then,  is  the  obedience  required  on  the 
Sabbath  distinguishable  from  that  due  on  other  days? 

A.  In  being  restricted  rather  to  exercises  of  direct 
worship,  or,  as  far  as  possible,  to  spiritual  things. 

Q.  5.     Is  the  sentiment,  which  some  who  desire  to 
undermine  the  institution  of  the  Sabbath  express,  worthy 
of  acceptance,  that  "every  day  should  be  a  Sabbath"? 
A.     a.  To  speak  thus  is  to  impugn  God's  wisdom ;  for 
He  did,  as  has  been  already  shown,  set 
apart  one  day  out  of  every  seven  to  be 
kept  as  peculiarly  sacred; 
b.  In  thought,  word,  and  deed  we  should  obey 
God  every  day;  but  we  are  not  required 
to  be  equally  employed  every   day  in  the 
direct  worship  and  contemplation  of  God. 
The  language  of  the  precept  justifies  this 
view :  "Six  days  shalt  thou  labor  and  do 
all  thy  work." 
■Q.  6.     In  what  sense  is  the  word  "propriety"  used 
here? 

A.  In  the  sense  of  ownership.  As  God  made, 
He  owns,  us;  and  as  He  owns  us,  it  pertains  to  Him  to 
dictate  how  our  time  shall  be  spent.     Ps,  100:3. 

Q.  7.  Has  not  God  a  double  ownership  in  His  peo- 
ple? 


256  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.  Yes;  one  founded  on  creation  and  another  rest- 
ing on  redemption. 

Q.  8.  Has  God  attached  a  blessing  to  the  proper 
observance  of  the  Sabbath? 

A.     Yes.     Gen.  2:3;  Ex.  20:11;  Is.  58:13,  14. 

Q.  9.     What  does  this  blessing  import? 

A.  It  means  that  the  favor  of  God  would  rest  on 
those  who  should  keep  the  Sabbath  holy  to  Him. 

Q.  10.  Ought  not  the  zeal  shown  by  God  for  the 
Sabbath  to  fire  us  with  like  zeal? 

A.     Yes.     Lev.  11:45;  20:7;  i  Pet.  1:16;  Eph.  5:1. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Gen.  2:3;  Lev.  20:7;  Eph.  5:1;  i  Pet.  1:16. 


QUESTION  LXIIL 

Which  is  the  Fifth  Commandment? 

ANSWER. 

The  Fifth  Commandment  is:  "Honor  thy 
father  and  thy  mother,  that  thy  days  may  be 
long  upon  the  land  which  the  Lord  thy  God 
giveth  thee." 

Q.  I.  What  department  of  duty  is  introduced  by 
this  Commandment? 

A.  Our  duty  toward  all  sentient  creatures ;  par- 
ticularly toward  human  beings,  ourselves  and  others. 

Q.  2.  Why  regard  this  second  "table,"  or  division, 
of  the  law  as  meant  to  regulate  our  attitude  not  only 
toward  human  beings,  but  also  toward  other  sentient 
creatures? 

A.  a.  It  is  a  fact  that  in  the  world  around  us  there 
are  many  creatures  other  than  human, 
capable  of  pleasure  and  pain,  together 
with  other  created  beings,  called  angels, 
with  which  we  have  somewhat  to  do,  and 
toward  which  certain  affections  should  be 
cherished. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  267 

b.  If  the  law  of  the  Lord  is  perfect,  as  it  surely 
is,  it  must  comprehend  all  our  moral  re- 
lations and  obligations.     Ps.  19:7-9;  119: 
96,  128. 
Q.  3.     Is  love  of  self  wrong? 

A.  No.  We  are  to  love  our  neighbor  as  ourselves ; 
which  implies  that  love  of  ourselves  is  a  duty,  if  love  of 
our  neighbor  is  a  duty. 

Q.  4.  Explain  2  Tim.  3:2,  where  it  is  mentioned  as 
a  mark  of  depravity  that  men  shall  be  "lovers  of  their 
own  selves." 

A.  This  means  that  they  shall  be  characterized  by 
selfishness,  which  is  an  undue  self-love,  or  such  a  love  of 
self  as  disregards  the  just  claims  of  others. 

Q.  5.  Explain  the  direction  given  in  Phil.  2:3:  "But 
in  lowliness  of  mind  let  each  esteem  other  better  than 
themselves,"  or,  as  in  the  Revised  Version,  "each  count- 
ing other  better  than  himself." 

A.     a.  Every  man  who   "knows   the   plague    of   his 
own  heart"  has  a  more  vivid  sense  of  his 
own  unworthiness  than  he  has  of  that  of 
any  other; 
b.  If  even  such  a  one  might  admit  that  others 
are  worse  than  he,  the  difference  in  his 
favor  would  be  ascribed  not  to  himself, 
but  to  the  grace  of  God,  and  so  would 
tend    to    generate    humility,    rather    than 
self-esteem  and  superciliousness. 
Q.  6.     Explain  the  statement  in  i  John  3:16:   "And 
we  ought  to  lay  down  our  lives  for  the  brethren." 

A.  a.  This  does  not  imply  that  we  are  to  love  "the 
brethren,"  that  is  our  fellow  Christians, 
better  than  ourselves; 
b.  It  teaches,  however,  that  circumstances  may 
occur  in  which  loyalty  to  God  may 
properly  impel  us  to  hazard  our  lives  for 
the  good  of  others,  particularly  of  fellow- 
believers.  But  this  would  be  to  love  God, 
not  our  Christian  brethren,  more  than 
ourselves. 


258  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  7.  Is  our  duty  to  man  comprehended  in  our  duty 
to  God? 

A.     Yes.    The  whole  law  is  God's  law. 

Q.  8.  Are  not  the  terms  "father"  and  "mother,"  in 
the  Fifth  Commandment,  to  be  regarded  as  representa- 
tive and  suggestive,  rather  than  as  exhaustive? 

A.  Yes.  They  are  meant  to  include  the  various 
social  relations  in  which  human  beings  may  stand  to  each 
other,  and  even  their  relations  to  other  sentient  crea- 
tures. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Eccl.  12:13;  Ps.  19:7;  I  John  3:16;  2  Tim.  3:2;  Phil. 
2:3. 


QUESTION  LXIV. 

What  is  required  in  the  Fifth  Command- 
ment? 

ANSWER. 

The  Fifth  Commandment  requireth  the  pre- 
serving the  honor  and  performing  the  duties  be- 
longing to  every  one  in  their  several  places  and 
relations,  as  superiors,  inferiors,  or  equals. 

Q.  I.     Are  there  any  respects  in  which  all  men  are 
equal  ? 

A.     Yes,  several. 

Q.  2.     Mention    some    respects    in   which    they   are 
equal. 

A.     a.  They  are  of  one  blood.     Acts  17:26; 

b.  They  are,  with  the  exception  of  the  first  pair, 

of  common  descent ; 

c.  They  are  all  moral  agents,  and  bear  in  this 

respect  a  likeness  to  God ; 

d.  They  are  all  destined  to  exist  forever  as  con- 

scious beings. 
Q.  3.     Are  there  any  respects  in  which  men  are  un- 
equal? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  259 

A,     Yes,  many. 

Q.  4.     Indicate  some  respects  in  which  men  are  un- 
equal. 

A.     a.  In  age,  some  being  old,  others  young; 
h.  In  bodily  and  mental  endowments ; 

c.  In  education  and  refinement; 

d.  In  social  standing  and  influence; 

e.  In  moral  and  religious  character; 

/.  In  official  rank,  civil  or  ecclesiastical. 
Q.   5.     Do  these  inequalities  form  a  just  basis  for 
varying  degrees  of  honor? 

A.     Yes.      Ex.    22:28;    Lev.    19:32;    Rom.    13:7;    i 
Thess.  5:13;  I  Tim.  5:17;  6:1;  i  Pet.  2:17. 

Q.  6.     Toward  superiors,  how  should  we  act? 
A.     a.  Not  in  a  spirit  of  abject  obsequiousness  and 
servility; 
h.  Respectfully,  as  having  regard  to  the  author- 
ity of  God. 
Q.  7.     Toward  equals,  how  should  we  act? 
A.     With   greater   freedom   than   toward   superiors; 
yet  with  dignified  courtesy. 

Q.  8.     Toward  inferiors  how  are  we  to  act? 
A.     Not  in  a  rude,  or  repellent,  manner;  but  con- 
siderately   and    kindly,    remembering    that    we    have    a 
Master  Who  will  hold  us  to  account  for  our  demeanor 
toward  our  fellowmen. 

Q,  9.     What,  in  particular,  are  the  duties  of  parents 
to  their  children? 

A.     01.  To  love  them  with  special  affection.     Tit.  2: 
4;  Ps.  103:13; 
h.  To  provide  for  their  temporal  support.   2  Cor. 
12:14;  I  Tim.  5  :8; 

c.  To    rule    and,    if    necessary,    chastise    them. 

Prov.  13:24;  19:18;  29:15,  17;  I  Tim.  3: 
4,  12;  Heb.  12:7; 

d.  To  instruct  them   in   useful   knowledge,  but 

especially  in  regard  to  the  need  and  way 
of  salvation.  Deut.  6:6-9;  Ps.  78:4-7; 
Eph.  6:4; 


260  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

e.  To  pray  for,  and  with,  them,  i  Chron.  29:19; 

f.  To  act  in  such  a  way  as  to  make  it  easy  for 

their  children   to   love  and   honor   them. 

Col.  3 :2i ;  Eph.  6  -.4. 
Q.  10.     What,   in  particular,   are  the  duties  which 
children  owe  to  their  parents? 

A.     a.  They  should  love  them ; 

b.  They  should  obey  them  in  all  lawful  com- 

mands.   Eph.  6 :i ;  2  Tim.  3 :2 ;  Rom.  1 130 ; 

c.  They  should  treat  them  with  deference  and 

respect; 

d.  They  should,  as  far  as  may  be  necessary  and 

practicable,    provide    for    their    temporal 
support  and  comfort.  Matt.  15:3-6;  John 
19 :27. 
Q.  II.     Is  a  child  bound  to  obey  his  parents  if  they 
require  him  to  do  something  sinful? 

A.     No.     The  right  of  parents  to  command  is  con- 
fined to  things  in  harmony  with  the  law  of  God. 

Q.  12.     What  course  should  a  child  pursue  when  his 
parents  require  him  to  do  anything  sinful? 

A.     a.  He  should  make  it  clear  by  his  entire  deport- 
ment that  his   refusal   to  obey   proceeds 
from  no  spirit  of  insubordination,  or  lack 
of  love,  to  his  parents;  but  from  a  sense 
of  God's  superior  authority; 
b.  He  should  meekly  submit  to  the  chastisement 
which   his    refusal   to  obey   might   bring 
upon  him.    Heb.  12:9. 
Q.  13.     What  duties  do  men,  as  members  of  civil 
society,  owe  to  their  rulers? 

A.  a.  They  should  regard  them  with  deference  as 
holding  authority  from  God.  Rom.  13:1- 
8;  I  Pet.  2:13,  14,  17; 
b.  They  should  obey  all  their  just  enactments; 
and  if  any  unrighteous  laws  are  framed, 
they  should  seek  in  a  constitutional  way 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  261 

to  have  these  rescinded ;  resort  to  physic- 
al force  for  this  purpose  being  admissi- 
ble only  in  extreme  cases; 

c.  They  should  pay  the  lawful  taxes  cheerfully, 

as  to  God.     Rom.  13:7; 

d.  They  should  pray  for  those  in  authority,     i 

Tim.  2:1,  2. 
Q.  14.     If  the  civil  authorities  should  require  us  to 
do  something  which  God  forbids,  what  should  be  our  at- 
titude? 

A.  We  should  refuse  compliance  with  such  a  law, 
and  submit  to  the  penalty.    Acts  4:19,  20. 

Q.  15.  Is  there  any  limit  to  this  duty  of  passive 
obedience  ? 

A.  a.  Authority  is  vested  in  individual  men  not  for 
their  own  sake,  but  for  the  sake  of  the 
community.  People  were  not  made  for 
rulers,  but  rulers  for  the  people.  It  seems 
a  necessary  conclusion  that  when  the  con- 
duct of  the  ruler,  whatever  the  form  of 
government  may  be,  becomes  subversive 
of  the  proper  ends  of  civil  government, 
the  people  have  a  right  to  interfere  even 
by  force; 
b.  This  reserved,  or  implied,  right  of  revolution 
is  not  to  be  rashly  exercised,  lest  haply 
the  remedy  should  prove  worse  than  the 
disease. 
Q.  16.  Are  all  classes  of  society  to  be  subject  to  the 
regularly  constituted  civil  authorities? 

A.     Yes.    Rom.  13:1-7;  i  Pet.  2:13-18. 
Q.  17.     What  exception  do  Romanists  take  to  this 
position? 

A.  They  claim  that  priests  should  be  amenable  to 
ecclesiastical  jurisdiction  alone ;  and  that  the  Pope  is  su- 
preme over  the  State,  having  authority  to  depose  civil 
rulers  and  release  their  subjects  from  the  obligation  to 
obey  them. 


262  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  1 8.  Has  this  papal  claim  ever  been  practically 
asserted? 

A.     Yes,  often. 

Q.  19.     Has  it  ever  been  renounced? 

A.  Never.  On  the  contrary,  it  rests  on  a  firmer 
theoretical  basis  since  1870,  when,  by  the  Vatican  Coun- 
cil, the  doctrine  of  Papal  Infallibility  was  declared  to  be 
a  dogma  to  be  received  under  pain  of  perdition. 

Q.  20.  Is  it  safe  for  the  State  to  grant  the  right  of 
suffrage  to  those  who  uphold  this  Papal  claim  to  suprem- 
acy? 

A.     It  is  very  unsafe. 

Q.  21.  What  duties  do  civil  rulers  owe  to  those 
under  their  sway? 

A.  a.  A  wise  and  equitable  administration  of 
public  affairs,  i  Pet.  2:13,  14;  Rom.  13: 
3;  Ps.  101:3;  2  Sam.  23:3; 

b.  A  good  example.     Ps.  loi  :2,  3,  7; 

c.  Courteous  demeanor  toward  all.     i  Pet.  2:17. 
Q.  22.     How   may   superiors,    inferiors,   and    equals 

respectively  break  this  Commandment? 

A.  a.  Superiors  may  be  heartless,  exacting,  and 
supercilious  toward  inferiors ; 

b.  Inferiors  may  be  envious,  discourteous,  and 

unjust  toward  superiors; 

c.  Equals  may  be  jealous,  unfair,  and  spiteful 

toward  each  other. 

Q.  23.  What  duties  do  ordinary,  or  private,  mem- 
bers of  the  Church  owe  to  those  who  are  over  them  in 
that  sphere? 

A.     a.  Honor,     i  Thess.  5:12,  13;  i  Tim.  5:17; 

b.  Obedience  in  all  lawful  requirements.     Heb. 

13:17; 

c.  Prayer  in     their    behalf,    i    Thess.    5 125 ;    2 

Thess.  3  :i ;  Col.  4:3  ; 

d.  Temporal  support,  so  far  as  needful  and  pos- 

sible.    I  Tim.    5:17,    18;    2    Cor.    11:7-9; 
Phil.  4:14-18; 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  263 

e.  Cooperation     in     upholding     and     spreading 
"the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus."     Phil.  1:27; 
2:15,  16;  Jude  V.  3. 
Q.  24.     What  duties  do  rulers  in  the  Church  owe 
to  those  under  their  care? 

A.     a.  A  deep  interest  in  their  welfare.     Acts  20: 
31;  Col  2:1,  2; 

b.  Patience    and    gentleness    in    dealing    with 

them.     I  Thess.  2:7,  8;  2  Tim.  2:24-26; 

c.  Firmness    in     withstanding     their     wayward 

tendencies,     i  Cor.  5:1-5;  i  Tim.  6:3-5; 

d.  Instruction  in  the  truth,  and  the  maintenance 

of  wholesome  discipline,     i  Cor.  5:12;  2 
Tim.  4 :2 ; 

e.  A  holy  example.    Acts  20:33-35;  Tit.  2:7,  8; 

I  Tim.  4:12. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Prov.  29:15,  17;  I  Tim.  5:17;  Eph.  6:1;  Heb.  12:9; 
I  Pet.  2:17;  Jude  V.  3;  Phil.  2':i5,  16;  Col.  4:3. 


QUESTION  LXV. 

What  is  forbidden  in  the  Fifth  Command- 
ment? 

ANSWER. 

The  Fifth  Commandment  forbiddeth  the 
neglecting  of,  or  doing  anything  against,  the 
honor  and  duty  which  belongeth  to  every  one  in 
their  several  places  and  relations. 

Q.  I.  Is  the  mere  omission  to  render  honor  to  those 
to  whom  it  is  due  a  violation  of  the  Fifth  Command- 
ment? 

A.     Yes.    Rom.  13:7;  Ps.  15:4. 

Q,  2.  Is  not  insult  addressed  to  one  entitled  to 
honor  a  still  more  flagrant  breach  of  this  precept? 

A.     Yes. 


264  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  3.  May  not  honor  be  rendered  to  a  man  because 
of  the  office  he  holds,  although,  for  his  character,  he  is 
abhorred? 

A.     Yes.  Ex.  22:28;  2  Pet.  2:10;  Jude  v.  8. 

Q.  4.  Is  it  a  breach  of  this  Commandment  to  act 
in  such  a  way  as  to  bring  disgrace  upon  relatives? 

A.  Yes,  if  the  conduct  be  in  itself  disgraceful. 
Sometimes,  however,  duty  may  require  us  to  pursue  a 
course  which  relatives  and  friends  may  resent  as  a  dis- 
grace to  them.     Luke  14:26,  27;  Acts  5:41. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Rom.  13:7;  Ex.  22:28;  Ps.  15:4. 


QUESTION  LXVI. 

What  is  the  reason  annexed  to  the  Fifth 
Commandment  ? 

ANSWER. 

The  reason  annexed  to  the  Fifth  Com- 
mandment is  a  promise  of  long  life  and  prosper- 
ity, as  far  as  it  shall  serve  for  God's  glory  and 
their  own  good,  to  all  such  as  keep  this  Com- 
mandment. 

Q.  I.  What  inducement  to  compliance  with  this 
precept  is  held  out? 

A.     Long  life,  and  that  in  comfort. 

Q.  2.  Does  the  promise  take  its  hue  from  the  con- 
dition of  the  Israelites  as  prospective  settlers  in  Canaan? 

A.  Yes.  God  was,  at  the  time  when  He  proclaimed 
the  law,  about  to  put  them  in  possession  of  that  land. 

Q.  3.     How  then  does  the  promise  apply  to  others? 

A.  The  place  providentially  allotted  to  us  by  God 
corresponds  to  the  land  assigned  by  God  to  the  Is- 
raelites.   Acts  17:26;  Eph.  6:3. 

Q.  4.  Are  those  who  obey  this  precept  distinguish- 
ed above  others  for  length  of  life? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  265 


A.     Taking  all  things  into  account,  it  may  be  af- 
firmed that  they  are. 

Q.   5.     Mention   some   considerations   favoring   this 
view. 

A.     a.  The    very    character    which    inclines    one    to 
honor    his    parents    and    his    fellowmen 
at   large   conduces   to  mental   peace   and 
consequently  to  physical  health; 
h.  Should  his  life  be  shortened,  it  may  be  so  in 
kindness  to  him.     Is.  57:1;  i   Kings  14: 
13; 
c.  In   his   life,   even   though  brief,  he   may   ex- 
perience   more    of   true    life    than   others 
whose   years   are   more.     Ps.   37:16;   91: 
16;  Prov.  3  :2. 
Q.  6.     Why  may  the   Fifth  Commandment  be  de- 
scribed as  the  "first  commandment  with  promise"? 

A.  a.  Perhaps,  because  it  is  the  first  in  the  second 
table,  or  division,  of  the  law  which  has 
a  promise  explicitly  annexed  to  it; 
h.  More  probably,  because  it  is  the  first,  or 
rather  the  only  one,  which  has  a  specific 
promise  attached  to  it.  In  the  Second 
Commandment  a  promise  is  indeed  made, 
but  it  is  made  to  those  who  keep  all  the 
Commandments. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Ps.  37:16;  Prov.  3:2;  Is.  57:1;  I  Kings  14:13. 


QUESTION  LXVII. 
Which  is  the  Sixth  Commandment? 

ANSWER. 

The  Sixth  Commandment  is:     "Thou  shalt 
not  kill." 

Q.   1.     What  condition  of  existence  is  guarded  by 
this  precept? 


266  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.     That  of  life. 

Q.  2.     What  varieties  of  life  are  there? 

A.     a.  Vegetable  life,  such  as  appears  in  trees  and 
plants ; 

b.  Animal  life,  such  as  appears  in  beasts,  birds, 

fishes,  and  insects; 

c.  Human   life,   such  as  pervades   and   controls 

the  material  structure  of  man; 

d.  Angelic  life,  such  as  marks  the  beings  called 

angels ; 

e.  Spiritual  life,  the  product  of  a  gracious  oper- 

ation of  God,  and   consisting  in  likeness 
to  Him  and  fellowship  with  Him; 
/.  Divine  life,  such  as  only  He  possesses  Who  is 
"the  living  God."     i  Tim.  3:15;  6:17;  i 
Thess.  I  :g. 
Q.  3.     Which  of  these  forms  of  life  does  this  pre- 
cept contemplate? 

A.  Human  life  especially ;  the  life  of  lower  senti- 
ent beings,  however,  not  being  overlooked. 

Q.  4.  Does  this  Commandment  relate  to  the  spirit- 
ual life  of  man? 

A.  Not  directly;  but  a  fair  inference  from  it  is  that 
if  the  bodily  life  is  sacred,  much  more  is  that  of  the 
soul. 

Q.  5.  How  does  it  appear  that  this  Commandment 
is  meant  to  regulate  our  action  even  toward  the  lower 
animals? 

A.  a.  It  is  clearly  indicated  in  Scripture  that  man 
is  for  his  good  vested  with  authority  over 
the  lower  animals.  Gen.  1:28;  9:2,  3; 
Ps.  8:6-8; 
h.  It  is  equally  clear  that  this  authority  is  limit- 
ed, and  that,  while  warranted  to  protect 
himself  against  the  lower  animals,  and  to 
press  them  into  his  service  for  food,  for 
clothing,  for  work,  and  for  sacrificial 
worship  when  such  worship  is  appointed 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  267 

by   God,  he  has  no  right  to  treat  them 
with  wanton  cruelty  and  to  torture  them 
for  his  amusement.     Deut.  22  :6,  7 ;  25  4 ; 
Jonah  4:11;  Prov.  12:10. 
Q.  6.     In  the  light  of  this  commandment,  how  do 
the  prevalent  practices  of  fishing  and  hunting  for  sport 
and  the  harsh  treatment  of  beasts  of  burden  appear? 
A.     As  tyrannical,  barbarous,  and  demoralizing. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Gen.  1:28;  Deut.  22:6,  7;  25:4;  Prov.  12:10. 


QUESTION  LXVIII. 

What  is  required  in  the  Sixth  Command- 
ment? 

ANSWER. 

The  Sixth  Commandment  requireth  all 
lawful  endeavors  to  preserve  our  own  life  and 
the  life  of  others. 

Q.  I.  What,  in  general,  is  enjoined  in  this  Com- 
mandment? 

A.  The  preservation  of  life,  our  own  and  that  of 
others. 

Q.  2.     Is  it  our  duty  to  preserve  our  own  life? 

A.  Yes.  Life  is  a  gift  entrusted  to  us  by  God,  to 
be  carefully  guarded,  and  to  be  yielded  up  only  at  His 
demand.  Acts.  7 :59.  The  charge  addressed  by  Paul 
and  Silas  to  the  Philippian  jailer  is  an  expression  of  our 
duty:     "Do  thyself  no  harm."    Acts  16:28. 

Q.  3.     Is  it  always  incumbent  on  us  to  avoid  death? 

A.  No.  It  may  sometimes  be  our  duty  and  honor 
to  expose  ourselves  to  it. 

Q.  4.  Specify  some  cases  in  which  it  may  be  even 
our  duty  to  expose  ourselves  to  death. 


268  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.  a.  In  repelling  gross  assaults  made  upon  our 
rights,  or  even  the  rights  of  others.  If 
the  civil  magistrate  may  use  the  sword 
for  the  punishment  of  evil-doers,  defen- 
sive war  must  be  permissible.   Rom.  13:4; 

b.  If  the  alternative  were  forced  upon  us,  to  die 

or  to  commit  a  sin,  we  should  prefer 
death.  Acts  4:19,  20;  5:29;  Dan'l.  3:18; 
6:22;  Matt.  10:39;  Phil.  1:29;  I    Pet.  3: 

17; 

c.  In  behalf  of  the  cause  and  people  of  God  we 

may  risk  our  lives.  Rom.  16:4;  I  John 
3:16; 

d.  Parents  may  warrantably  hazard  their  lives 

for  the  support  and  protection  of  their 
children.  This  is  done  by  miners,  sailors, 
and  many  others  with  approbation.  Our 
Lord  did  not  censure  His  disciples  for 
engaging  in  the  dangerous  occupation  of 
fishermen. 

Q.  5.     Is  suicide  ever  lawful? 

A.     No. 

Q.  6.  Present  considerations  in  support  of  this  posi- 
tion. 

A.  a.  God,  the  author  of  life,  owns  us,  and  no  man, 
without  His  sanction,  is  warranted  to  put 
an  end  to  his  own  life ; 

b.  If  we  may  not  murder  our  neighbor,  surely 

we  have  no  right  to  murder  ourselves; 

c.  Suicide  implies  a  refusal  to  stand  at  our  post 

till  released  by  God,  and  so  involves  an 
element  of  rebellion  against  Him ; 

d.  This  act,  at  least  when  death  results  instan- 

taneously, precludes  repentance; 

e.  It    is    a    significant    fact    that    the    suicides 

brought  to  view  in  Scripture  were  bad 
men.  Ahithophel,  Saul,  and  Judas  are  the 
chief  representatives  in  Scripture  of  the 
class  of  suicides. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  269 

Q.  7.     May  not  Samson  be  classed  among  suicides? 

A.     Not  in  the  criminal  sense  of  the  word. 

Q.  8.     Explain  this  more  fully. 

A.  a.  It  is  true  that  he  performed  a  feat  which  he 
knew  would  issue  in  his  death.  Judges 
16:30; 
h.  His  act  was  not  prompted  by  a  desire  to  die ; 
but  by  a  desire  to  execute  the  vengeance 
of  God  on  the  foes  of  Israel  and  of  him- 
self as  the  champion  of  Israel; 

c.  It  was  after  prayer  to  God  for  strength  that 

Samson     performed      the     tragic      deed. 
Judges  16:28; 

d.  God   seems  to  have  responded   to  Samson's 

prayer ; 

e.  Samson's  position  was  unique.    He  had  been 

called  and  qualified  by  God  to  act  for 
Him  as  judge  and  defender  of  the  chosen 
people.  As  Joshua  had  by  Divine  direc- 
tion waged  war  on  the  Canaanites,  so 
Samson  had  a  commission  from  God  to 
avenge  Israel's  wrongs. 
Q.  9.     Have  we  charge  in  some  sense  of  the  life  of 

others  as  well  as  of  our  own  life? 

A.     Yes.     It  was  apostate  Cain  who  dared  to  ask, 

"Am  I  my  brother's  keeper?" 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Acts  5:29;  Phil.  1:29;  Dan.  3:18;  i  John  3:16;  Acts 
16:28. 


QUESTION  LXIX. 

What  is  forbidden  in  the  Sixth  Command- 
ment? 

ANSWER. 

The  Sixth  Commandment  forbiddeth  the 
taking  away  of  our  own  life  or  the  life  of  our 
neighbor  unjustly,  and  whatsoever  tendeth  there- 
unto. 


270  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  I.  Is  the  taking  away  of  human  life  forbidden 
unreservedly  in  this  Commandment? 

A.  No,*  only  the  doing  so  unjustly,  which  implies 
that  there  may  be  a  just  "taking  away"  of  human  life. 

Q.  2.     Is  all  war  unlawful? 

A.  No.  God  directed  the  Israelites  to  make  re- 
lentless war  on  the  Canaanites,  Amalekites,  and  others. 
Ex.  23:23,  24;  Josh.  8:2;  I  Sam.  15:3;  Ps.  137:8,  9.  War 
in  self-defense  may,  as  a  last  resort,  be  warrantable.  Ag- 
gressive war,  unless  commanded  by  God,  is  wrong. 

Q.  3.     Explain  the  teaching  of  Christ  in  Matthew 

5 :38-44. 

A.  This  is  meant  to  prohibit  a  quarrelsome  and 
vindictive  spirit  and  inculcate  the  duty  of  love  to  all 
men, 

Q.  4.  Were  the  Israelites,  even  when  waging  war 
upon  the  Canaanites,  warranted  to  hate  them? 

A,  No.  The  law  of  love  to  man  was  not  suspended 
even  then. 

Q.  5.  Is  capital  punishment  by  the  State  forbidden 
in  this  Commandment? 

A.  No,  if  inflicted  as  a  penalty  for  murder,  or  for 
treason,  which  is  constructively  murder. 

Q.  6.  Advance  some  proof  in  support  of  this  posi- 
tion. 

A.  a.  In  Gen.  9:6  the  injunction  is  issued  that  the 
murderer  shall  be  executed :  "Whoso 
sheddeth  man's  blood,  by  man  shall  his 
blood  be  shed." 

If  asked,  may  not  this  be  a  prediction 
rather  than  a  precept,  we  would  answer, 
No ;  for  in  v.  5  God  says  that  "He  will  re- 
quire the  life  of  every  man  at  the  hand  of 
his  brother,"  that  is,  of  his  fellowman. 
Even  if  a  prediction,  this  would  be  an  in- 
dication of  the  ineradicable  instinct  of  the 
race  that  the  murderer  deserves  death; 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  271 

b.  The  reason  given  in  Gen.  9 :6  why  the  shedder 

of  human  blood  should  be  put  to  death  is 
of  permanent  and  universal  force,  name- 
ly, that  man  was  made  in  the  image  of 
God; 

c.  In  giving  laws  to  the  Israelitish  people,  God 

strictly  directed  that  the  murderer  should 
be  put  to  death.  See  Num.  35:30-34; 
Ex.  21:14;  Deut.  19:11-13; 

d.  In  the  language  of    Paul,    "For    if    I    be    an 

offender,  or  have  committed  anything 
worthy  of  death,  I  refuse  not  to  die" 
(Acts  25:11),  it  is  implied  that  death  is 
a  punishment  which  may  sometimes  be 
justly  inflicted; 

e.  In  Rom.  13:4  the  civil  magistrate  is  describ- 

ed as  bearing  a  sword,  that  is,  as  vested 
with  authority  to  inflict  death  for  crime. 
Q.  7.     Is  it  only  actual  murder  that  is  forbidden  in 
this  precept? 

A.  No.  Hatred  of  others,  greed,  intemperance, 
and  evil  affections  generally  which  lead  to  murder  are 
also  prohibited.     Matt.  5:22;  Jas.  4:1;  i  John  3:15. 

Q.  8.  Does  this  Commandment  forbid  the  killing 
of  animals? 

A.  No;  only  the  needless  killing  of  them,  and 
cruelty  to  them. 

Q.  9.     What  may  justify  our  killing  of  animals? 
A.     a.  The    desire    of    self-protection    against    fero- 
cious, venomous,  or  vexatious  creatures. 
Acts  28:5; 

b.  We  may  kill  animals  for  food  and  clothing. 

Gen.  9:3;  John  21:6,  9-13;  Gen.  18:7,  8; 
I  Cor.  10:25; 

c.  When  required  by  God  as  sacrificial  victims, 

animals  may  and  should  be  slain ; 

d.  Yet   the    killing  of    animals,    even    lawfully, 

should  be  done  with  the  infliction  of  as 
little  pain  as  possible.     Deut.  25  -.4 ; 


272  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

e.  Vivisection,  or  the  subjection  of  animals  to 
pain  and  death,  is  lawful,  if  done  humane- 
ly and  in  the  interests  of  man ;  but  not,  if 
done  to  gratify  mere  curiosity,  or  in  a 
spirit  of  cruelty. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Gen.  9:6;  Num.  35:30-34;  Acts  25:11;  i  John  3:15; 
Gen.  9:3;  Acts  28:5. 


QUESTION  LXX. 
Which  is  the  Seventh  Commandment? 

ANSWER. 

The    Seventh    Commandment    is:      "Thou 
shalt  not  commit  adultery." 

Q.  I.  What  is  the  particular  department  of  morjds 
emljraced  in  this  precept? 

A.     That  pertaining  to  sexual  relations. 

Q.  2.     What  is  presupposed  in  this  Commandment? 

A.  That  there  is  among  human  beings  a  difference 
of  bodily  constitution,  which  is  called  a  difference  of 
sex;  and  that  between  the  sexes  there  is  a  mutual  ap- 
petency, or  attraction.     Gen.  1:27;  2 124. 

Q.  3.  Is  the  sin  contemplated  here  possible  to  mere 
spirits? 

A.  Apparently  not.  Matt.  22:30;  Eph.  5:28,  31 ;  i 
Cor.  6:16,  18. 

Q.  4.     Is  not  the  sin  in  view  emphatically  carnal? 

A.  Yes ;  but  it  has  its  seat,  as  all  sin  must  have, 
ultimately  in  the  soul,  or  mind ;  yet  in  the  soul,  or  mind, 
as  related  mysteriously  to  a  bodily  organism.  Rom.  i : 
24;  Ps.  81  :i2;  Eph.  4:18,  19. 

Q.  5.     What  is  adultery? 

A.  In  the  strict  use  of  the  term,  it  means  unlaw- 
ful sexual  intercourse  between  two  married  persons,  or 
between  two,  one  of  whom  only  is  married. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  273 

Q.  6.     What  term  is  used  to  denote  like  intercourse 
between  two  unmarried  persons,  male  and  female? 
A.     Fornication. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

I  Cor.  6:i8;  Gen.  2:  24;  Eph.  4:17-19. 


QUESTION  LXXI. 

What  is  required  in  the  Seventh  Command- 
ment? 

ANSWER. 

The  Seventh  Commandment  requireth  the 
preservation  of  our  own  and  our  neighbor's 
chastity,  in  heart,  speech,  and  behavior. 

Q.  I.  In  how  many  ways  may  the  sin  of  unchas- 
tity  be  committed? 

A.  In  heart,  in  speech,  and  in  our  acts  aside  from 
speech. 

Q.  2.     How  may  this  sin  be  committed  in  the  heart? 

A.  By  the  entertainment  of  impure  thoughts  and 
desires.  Matt.  5:28;  15:18-20;  Rom.  1:24. 

Q.  3.  What  is  to  be  done  to  counteract  and  cure 
this  heart  evil? 

A.  a.  We  should  duly  consider  the  breadth  of  the 
law; 

b.  We  should  seek  to  displace  evil  thoughts  and 

appetencies  by  the  thought  of  God,  of 
His  holiness,  justice,  truth,  power,  and 
knowledge.     Gen.  39:9;  Ps.  139:1-3; 

c.  We  should  shun,  as  far  as  may  be  consistent 

with  duty  in  other  respects,  persons, 
places,  and  conditions  likely  to  excite  in  us 
improper  thoughts  and  affections.  Prov. 
4:23-27.  The  theatre  and  the  ball-room 
should  be  avoided; 


274  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

d.  Above  all  we  should  exercise  faith  in  Christ, 

and  by  habitual  prayer  seek  strength  to 

combat     evil     propensities     and     Satanic 

temptations,      i    John    5:4;    Luke    22:31, 

32;  Acts  15:9;  2  Cor.  12:9. 

Q.  4.     Is  it  requisite  for  success  in  this  struggle  to 

withdraw  from  the    world   to   monasteries   or   convents, 

after  the  manner  of  Popish  devotees  ? 

A.  No.  This  is  not  requisite,  neither  is  such  a 
course  conducive  to  moral  purity,  as  the  history  of 
monkery  clearly  proves. 

Q.  5.  How  may  we  break  this  Commandment  in 
our  speech? 

A.  By  impure  speech  we  may  corrupt  others  and 
foster  in  ourselves  evil  propensities.  Prov.  7:21;  2  Pet. 
2:18;  Jas.  3:6. 

Q.  6.  How  may  we  in  our  acts,  aside  from  speech, 
break  this  Commandment? 

A.     a.  By  direct  acts  of  lewdness; 

b.  By  immodesty  of  deportment; 

c.  By  indulgence  in  strong  drink.     Hos.  4:11. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Ps.  139:1-3;  Prov.  4:23;  I  John  5:4;  Jas.  3:6;  Hos. 
4:11. 


QUESTION  LXXII. 

What   is   forbidden   in   the    Seventh    Com- 
mandment? 

ANSWER. 

The  Seventh  Commandment  forbiddeth  all 
unchaste  thoughts,  words,  and  actions. 

Q.  I.  Is  not  the  word  "adultery,"  in  the  Seventh 
Commandment,  used  in  a  representative,  or  comprehen- 
sive, sense? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  275 

A.  Yes,  it  is  employed  to  signify  all  improper 
sexual  relations  and  inclinations.  This  is  in  keeping 
with  the  compression  which  marks  the  other  precepts 
of  the  Decalogue. 

Q.  2.     Are  there  any  degrees  of  relationship  within 
which  marriage  even  is  unlawful? 
A.     Yes. 

Q.  3.  Where  especially  are  indicated  the  degrees 
within  which  marriage  is  forbidden? 

A.     In  the  i8th  and  20th  chapters  of  Leviticus. 
Q.  4.     May   not    the    restriction    specified    in    these 
chapters  apply  to  the  Israelites  alone? 

A.     Several  considerations  forbid  this  limitation. 
a.  On  this  supposition,  we  should  be  left  in  a 
very  important  department  of  life  with- 
out,   or    nearly    without,    any    Scripture 
guidance ; 
h.  In  the  chapters  under  notice,    the    Canaani- 
tish  tribes  are  charged  with  gross  sin  be- 
cause they  married  within  the  degrees  of 
relationship  specified.     This  implies  that 
the    restrictions    laid    down    applied    to 
other  nations  as  well  as  to  the  Israelites. 
Lev.  18:3,  24,  25,  27,  30;  20:23; 
c.  In  I  Cor.  5:1  the  conduct  of  a  member  of  the 
Corinthian  church,  who  had  married  his 
stepmother,    is    denounced    as   a   flagrant 
offense,  such  as  even  the  Gentiles  deem- 
ed  abhorrent.    This    presupposes    that   a 
law  adverse  to  such  a  marriage  existed. 
But  where   in   the   Bible   is   such   a   law 
found,  if  not  in  Leviticus? 
Q.  5.     Is  a  certain  degree  of  nearness  of  kin,  or  of 
blood  relationship,  a  lawful  impediment  to  marriage? 
A.     Yes. 

Q.  6.     Explain  the  degree  of  nearness  within  which 
marriage  is  unlawful. 


276  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.  Those  more  nearly  related  than  first  cousins 
may  not  wed  together.  See  the  specifications  in  Lev. 
i8:8-i8. 

Q.  7.  Does  this  prohibition  include  relatives  by 
marriage  or  affinity,  as  well  as  relatives  by  blood  or 
consanguinity? 

A.  Yes.  For  instance  in  v.  8  it  is  said :  "The  naked- 
ness of  thy  father's  wife  shalt  thou  not  uncover." 

Q.  8.  What  is  meant  in  this  case  by  the  expression 
"father's  wife"? 

A.  It  means  stepmother,  that  is,  a  mother  by  mar- 
riage or  affinity,  not  by  blood. 

Q.  9.     How  may  this  be  proved? 

A.  By  the  fact  that  in  the  preceding  verse  (v.  7) 
marriage  with  one's  real  mother  is  forbidden ;  and  also 
by  the  fact  that  in  verse  8  the  reason  given  is,  "she  is 
thy  father's  wife,"  not  as  in  verse  7,  "she  is  thy  mother." 

Q.  10.  Is  there  further  evidence  to  the  same  effect 
given  in  Leviticus,  chapter  18? 

A.  Yes.  In  v.  14  it  is  said,  "Thou  shalt  not  un- 
cover the  nakedness  of  thy  father's  brother,  thou  shalt 
not  approach  to  his  wife;  she  is  thine  aunt." 

Q.  II.  What  light  does  this  shed  on  the  point  in 
hand? 

A.  The  mere  fact  that  two  persons  stand  related 
to  each  other  as  aunt  and  nephew,  or,  it  may  be  added, 
as  uncle  and  niece,  is  a  legal  barrier  to  their  intermar- 
riage. Yet  there  may  be  no  blood  bond  between  them. 
See  further  evidence  in  the  same  line  in  verses  15,  16,  17, 
and  in  ch.  20:20,  21. 

Q.  12.  Is  the  marriage  of  a  man  to  a  sister  of  his 
deceased  wife  lawful? 

A.  No.  She  is  his  sister  by  affinity,  and,  so  far  as 
concerns  marriage,  is  as  ineligible  as  his  sister  by  blood. 
In  exact  correspondence  with  this  is  the  enactment  in 
Lev.  20:21,  "And  if  a  man  shall  take  his  brother's  wife, 
it  is    an    unclean    thing."      If    a    man    may    not    marry 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  277 

his  brother's    wife,    why    should    a   woman    marry    her 
sister's  husband? 

Q.  13.  In  Lev.  18:18  permission,  many  say,  is  given 
to  a  man  to  marry  a  sister  of  his  deceased  wife.  Deal 
with  this  view. 

A.     a.  The  meaning  of  this  verse  is  confessedly  ob- 
scure. 
b.  This  enactment  is  leveled  against  simultane- 
ous polygamy,  that  is,  having  at  the  same 
time  more  than  one  wife.     The  transla- 
tion given  by  the  Revisers  seems  accurate, 
and  it  favors  this  view :  "And  thou  shalt 
not  take  a  woman  to  her  sister  to  be  a 
rival    to    her   to    uncover    her    nakedness 
beside  the  other  in  her  lifetime." 
Q.  14.     Answer  the  objection  that  if  this  be  a  pro- 
hibition of   simultaneous   polygamy,   it   would   be  most 
strange  that  so  many  of  the  Israelites,  apparently  with- 
out remorse,  or  legal  obstruction,  should  have  had  at  the 
same  time  a  plurality  of  wives. 

A.  a.  There  is  good  ground  for  thinking  that  but 
few  Israelites  practiced  polygamy  in  the 
sense  indicated ; 

b.  When    practiced    among   them,    it    seems    to 

have  been  productive  of  evil  and  frown- 
ed upon  by  God.  i  Sam.  1:10;  2  Sam. 
12:9,  10;  I  Kings  II  :4; 

c.  Other   lines   of   conduct  unquestionably   for* 

bidden,    as,    for   instance,   idolatry,    Avere 
pursued  by  many  of  the  Israelitish  peo- 
ple. 
Q.  15.     It  is  sometimes  urged  that  blood  relation- 
ship was  no  barrier  to  marriage  in  the  family  of  Adam, 
and  therefore  should  not  be  so  now.    Answer  this. 

A.  a.  This  argument  proves  too  much  for  those 
who  advance  it;  for  they  do  not  claim 
that  natural  brothers  and  sisters  may  in- 
termarry now; 


278  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

b.  Of  the  precepts  of  God  some  are  more  radical 

and  inflexible  than  others.     For  instance, 

He    made    it   the    duty   of   the    Israelites 

to    kill    the    Canaanites    and    seize    their 

property ;   but   He    never   gave   authority 

to  any  man  to  lie,  or  to  hate  his  neighbor. 

It  was  the  duty  of  the  Israelites  before 

the  crucifixion  of  Christ  to  offer  animals 

in   sacrifice  to  God.     It  would  be  sinful 

for  Jew  or  Gentile  to  do  so  now. 

Q.  i6.     Another  objection  is  pressed  that  according 

to  the  law  in  Israel  it  was  right  for  a  man  to  marry  the 

widow  of  a  brother  who  had  died  childless. 

A.  The  answer  given  to  the  previous  question  may 
suffice  as  an  answer  to  this  objection. 

Q.  17,  Is  the  divorce  of  married  persons  ever  law- 
ful? 

A.     Yes.  Matt.  5:32;  19:9. 

Q.  18.  What  is  the  Roman  Catholic  doctrine  on 
this  point? 

A.  It  is  that  divorce,  at  least  among  professing 
Christians,  is  never  lawful ;  while  separation  "a  mensa 
et  thoro,"  that  is,  from  bed  and  board,  is  permissible. 

Q.  19.  By  what  device,  however,  do  Romanists 
evade  the  difficulties  attaching  to  their  refusal  of 
divorce? 

A.  They  teach  that  marriage  may  on  a  variety  of 
grounds  be  null  and  void  from  the  beginning.  Accord- 
ing to  Romish  casuists  there  are  sixteen  grounds  on  any 
one  of  which  a  marriage  may  be  declared  null.  Such 
nullification  is  divorce  under  another  name. 

Q.  20.  How  do  Romanists  provide  a  convenient 
modification  of  their  stringent  rules  touching  the  forma- 
tion of  the  nuptial  union? 

A.  By  maintaining  that  in  the  Pope  is  vested 
authority  to  dispense  with  certain  requirements  in  re- 
gard to  marriage.  The  exercise  of  the  dispensing  power 
is  a  fruitful  source  of  revenue  to  the  Papal  treasury. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  279 

Q.  21.  Is  divorce  lawful  upon  any  other  ground 
than  that  of  actual  adultery? 

A.  Yes,  on  the  ground  of  persistent,  irremediable 
desertion  on  the  part  of  husband  or  wife,  i  Cor.  7:15. 
This  might  be  styled  "constructive  adultery,"  as  it  in- 
volves a  radical  renunciation  of  the  marriage  \om. 

Q.  22.  May  not  divorce  granted  on  insufficient 
grounds  tend  to  the  breach  of  the  Seventh  Command- 
ment? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  23.  May  not  separation,  not  amounting  to  di- 
vorce, be  in  some  cases  admissible  and  salutary? 

A.  Yes.  Many  think  that  this  is  all  that  is  meant 
in  I  Cor.  7:11,  15. 

Q.  24.  Does  this  precept  forbid  the  indulgence  of 
impure  affections  and  thoughts? 

A.     Yes.     Prov.  4:23;  Matt.  5:28. 

Q.  25.  Is  the  use  of  foul  language  forbidden  in  this 
Commandment  ? 

A.     Yes.     Eph.  4:29;  5:3,  4. 

Q.  26.  Is  the  reading,  and  still  more  is  the  writing, 
of  impure  thoughts  prohibited  in  this  Commandment? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  27.  Is  the  pastime  of  dancing  a  violation  of  this 
precept? 

A.     Yes,  as  commonly  practiced. 

Q.  28.  Yet  is  there  anything  wrong  in  the  physical 
movement  called  "dancing"? 

A.  No.  The  evil  lies  in  the  attendant  circum- 
stances when  the  sexes  join  in  this  exercise.  Liberties 
are  taken  and  tolerated  in  the  whirl  of  the  dance  which, 
in  other  circumstances,  would  neither  be  attempted  nor 
allowed. 

Q.  29.  Are  the  exhibitions  of  the  theatre  and  the 
circus  at  variance  with  the  spirit  of  this  precept? 

A.  Yes.  However  men  may  disguise  or  deny  it, 
these  forms  of  amusement  are  corrupting  in  their  char- 


280  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

acter,  detrimental  to  the  morals  of  both  spectators  and 
actors. 

Q.  30.  Does  this  command  forbid  by  implication 
intemperance  in  eating  and  drinking? 

A.     Yes.     Rom.  13:13;  2  Pet.  2:13,  14. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Matt.  5:22;  19:9;  I  Cor.  7:15;  Eph.  4:29;  Rom.  13: 
13- 


QUESTION  LXXIII. 
Which  is  the  Eighth  Commandment? 

ANSWER. 

The  Eighth  Commandment  is:  "Thou  shalt 
not  steal." 

Q.  I.  What  particular  point  in  morals  is  inculcated 
in  this  Commandment? 

A.     Honesty,  especially  in  worldly  business. 

Q.  2.  May  there  be  dishonesty  toward  God  as  well 
as  toward  man? 

A.     Yes.     Mai.  3:8-10;  Neh.  13:10-12. 

Q.  3.     What  is  assumed  in  this  Commandment? 

A.  That  individual  ownership  of  earthly  goods  is 
lawful. 

Q.  4.     How  can  this  be  shown? 

A.  If  one  owns  nothing,  he  has  nothing  which  can 
be  stolen,  for  stealing  means  the  appropriation  without 
his  consent  of  that  which  belongs  to  another.  There  can 
be  no  stealing,  if  there  is  no  ownership. 

Q.  5.  On  what  title  does  ownership  fundamentally 
rest?  or  by  what  right  can  one  justly  say,  "this  is  mine"? 

A.  a.  Ultimately  the  title  to  any  material  thing 
centers  in  God,  the  creator  and  upholder 
of  the  universe.  Ps.  89:11;  8:6;  115:16; 
Gen.  1:28,  29;  I  Chron.  29:11-14;  Matt. 
6:11 ;  Rom.  II  :36; 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  281 

b.  God,    the    chief   owner,   concedes    to    men   a 

right  to  the  fruits  of  their  labor,  whether 
that  of  mind  or  that  of  body,  i  Thess. 
4:11,  12;  2  Thess,  3:8,  10-12;  Matt.  10: 
10;  2  Tim.  2:6;    Deut.  24:14,  15; 

c.  God  concedes  to  parents  the  right  to  bequeath 

property  to  their  offspring,  and  to  chil- 
dren the  right  of  inheritance  from  their 
progenitors.  Num.  36:7-9;  2  Cor.  12:14; 

d.  God     recognizes,     as     valid,     proprietorship 

founded  on  a  gift  by  one  man  to  another. 
Eph.  4:28;  Phil.  4:18; 

e.  Spoils  taken  in  a  just  war  become  rightfully 

the  property  of  the  victor.  Deut.  20:14; 
I  Sam'l.  30:22; 
/.  Priority   in    appropriating   uninhabited   lands 
gives  a  valid  title  to  them.     Gen.  i  :28. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Mai.  3:8-10;  Ps.  115:16;  Rom.  11:36;  Eph.  4:28;  2 
Thess.  3:10-12. 


QUESTION  LXXIV. 

What  is  required  in  the  Eighth  Command- 
ment? 

ANSWER. 

The   Eighth   Commandment   requireth   the 
lawful  procuring  and  furthering  the  wealth  and 
.  outward  estate  of  ourselves  and  others. 

Q.  I.  Is  it  right  to  seek  increase  of  worldly  sub- 
stance ? 

A.  Yes.  Industry  is  inculcated  in  Scripture,  and 
the  immediate  aim  of  industry  in  temporal  things  is 
worldly  gain.  Prov.  10:4;  18:9;  19:15;  6:6-8;  2  Thess. 
3:10-12. 


282  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  2.  Mention  some  desirable  ends  which  the  ac- 
quisition of  worldly  substance  may  subserve. 

A.     a.  Our  own  comfort  may  thus  be  promoted; 

b.  The  welfare  of   others    may   thus   be  wisely 

advanced.     Rom.   12:13;   i   John  3:17;   i 
Tim.  5:8; 

c.  The  cause  of  God  may  be  helped  by  our  con- 

tributions. 
Q.  3.     May  not  the  pursuit  of  earthly  riches  become 
a  snare? 

A.     Yes.     Prov.  28:20;  i  Tim.  6:9,  10. 

Q.  4.     When  does  it  become  sinful  and  ensnaring? 

A.     a.  When  it  absorbs  too  much  of  our  time  and 

energy ; 

b.  When  prosecuted  in  a  spirit  of  selfishness; 

c.  When  marked  by  the  use  of  unfair  and  dis- 

honorable means. 

Q.  5.  Is  it  the  duty  of  each  man  to  promote  as  far 
as  he  can,  consistently  with  other  obligations,  the  tem- 
poral interests  of  his  fellowmen? 

A.  Yes.  We  are  required  to  love  our  neighbor, 
that  is,  our  fellowman ;  but  indifference  to  his  temporal 
welfare  is  at  variance  with  such  good  will  tO'  him.  Gal. 
6:10;  Rom.  12:10;  13:8,  10. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Prov.  10:4;  2  Thess.  3:10-12;  i  Tim.  5:8;  6:9,  10; 
Gal.  6:10;  Rom.  13:8,  10. 


QUESTION  LXXV. 

What  is  forbidden  in  the  Eighth  Command- 
ment? 

ANSWER. 

The  Eighth  Commandment  forbiddeth 
whatsoever  doth,  or  may,  unjustly  hinder  our 
own  or  our  neighbor's  wealth  or  outward 
estate. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  283 

Q.  I.     How  may  a  man  defraud  himself? 
A.     a.  By  indolence.     Prov.  20:4;  13:4;   14:33;   15: 
19;  20:13; 

b.  By  carelessness  in  the  transaction  of  worldly 

business.     Prov.  10:4;  22:26,  27; 

c.  By  wasteful  habits.     Prov.  21:17;  23:20,  21; 

d.  By  withholding  from  God  the  time,  energy, 

and  money  due  to  Him,  and  so  depriving 
himself   of   a   blessing.     Hag.    1:6,   9-11; 
Mai.  3:9,  10;  Prov.  22:9;  11:24,  25;  22:9. 
Q.  2.     Point  out  some  unlawful  means  used  to  ac- 
quire property. 

A.     a.  Actual  robbery  and  theft; 

h.  Taking  advantage  of  the  ignorance  of  others 
in  bargaining; 

c.  False  assertions  in  buying  and  selling.    Prov. 

20:14; 

d.  The  use  of  false  weights  and  measures.    Prov. 

20:10,  23;  Lev.  19:35,  36;  Prov.  16:11; 

e.  Demanding  exorbitant  interest  for  the  use  of 

money ; 

/.  Crushing  competition  by  any  other  means 
than  excellence,  or  cheapness,  of  produc- 
tion, or  service; 

g.  Resorting  to  legal  trickery  in  order  to  evade 
just  obligations,  or  gain  unfair  advan- 
tages ; 

h.  Keeping  back  payment  that  is  due.     Lev.  19: 
13;  Deut.  24:15. 
Q.  3.     How  may  the  poor  and  dependent  break  this 
precept? 

A.  a.  By  petty  thefts  practiced  on  employers.  Ac- 
cording to  the  Romish  code  of  morals,  a 
servant  may,  without  committing  mortal 
sin,  take  of  his  employer's  goods  stealthi- 
ly ;  but  not  so  as  to  impoverish  the  latter ; 

h.  By  performing  work  for  others  in  a  careless 
manner; 


284  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

c.  By    being    eye-servants    and    working    faith- 
fully only  when  watched. 
Q.  4.     Is  it  lawful  to  lend  money  on  interest? 
A.     Yes.     This  is  simply  to  charge  for  the  use  of 
property,  and  is  no  more  unrighteous  than  to  charge  for 
the  use  of  a  horse,  or  house,  or  field. 

Q.  5.  How  then  can  Ps.  15:5  and  Luke  6:35  be  ex- 
plained? 

A.     a.  It  is  indicated  in  these  texts,  as  also  in  Deut. 
23  :i9,    that    between     Israelites     in     the 
Mosaic  economy  special  brotherhood  ex- 
isted, in  token  of  which  money  lent  by 
one  to  the  other  was  not  to  bear  inter- 
est; 
h.  It  seems  further  to  be  taught  that  in  certain 
circumstances  it  might  be  a  duty  to  lend 
even  without  a  good  prospect  of  getting 
either  principal  or  interest. 
Q.  6.     Was  it  lawful  for  Israelites  in  the  old  econ- 
omy to  take  interest  from  Gentiles  for  money  lent  to 
them? 

A.  Yes.  See  Deut.  23 :2o.  This  proves  that  the 
lending  upon  interest  is  not  necessarily  wrong. 

Q.  7.  Is  gambling  a  violation  of  this  Command- 
ment? 

A.  Yes.  Gambling  is  an  attempt  to  obtain  money 
without  giving  an  equivalent  for  it.  It  can  hardly  be 
said  that  the  pleasure  afforded  by  the  game  is  an  equiva- 
lent; because  both  parties  have  this  equally.  The  win- 
ning of  the  money  at  stake  is  an  independent  motive; 
and  this  involves  the  desire  to  get  something  for  noth- 
ing, which  is  of  the  nature  of  theft. 

Q.  8.  It  may  be  retorted  that  to  beg  is  to  seek 
something  for  nothing;  and,  therefore,  that  to  beg  is 
wrong,  if  gambling  is  wrong. 

A.  The  gambler  claims  what  he  wins  as  his  by 
right,   whereas   the   beggar   asks    alms   as    a   matter  of 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  285 

bounty,  and,  when  he  receives  a  gratuity,  professes  grati- 
tude for  it.  The  gambler,  on  the  contrary,  when  he  wins, 
acknowledges  no  debt  of  gratitude  to  his  rival  in  play. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Prov.  20:4;  10:4;  11:24,  25;  20:23;  Lev.  19:13;  Ps. 
15:5;  Deut  23:20. 

QUESTION  LXXVI. 
Which  is  the  Ninth  Commandment? 

ANSWER. 

The  Ninth  Commandment  is:  "Thou  shalt 
not  bear  false  witness  against  thy  neighbor." 

Q.  I.  What  general  branch  of  morals  is  inculcated 
in  this  precept? 

A.     Veracity,  or  truthfulness. 

Q.  2.  What  particular  department  of  this  is  given 
as  a  sample  of  the  whole? 

A.  Testimony,  or  witness-bearing,  in  regard  to  our 
neighbors. 

Q.  3.     Who  is  our  neighbor? 

A.     Our  fellowman.     Luke  10:36,  37. 

Q.  4.  Does  the  witness,  or  testimony,  intended  in- 
clude statements  made,  whether  in  a  court  of  law,  or 
otherwise? 

A.  Yes.  We  are  always  in  the  presence  of  the 
great  Judge,     i  Kings  17:1;  Heb.  4:13. 

Q.  5.  In  how  many  ways  may  falsehood  be  express- 
ed and  false  witness  be  borne? 

A.     a.  By  the  tongue. 
h.  By  the  pen. 

c.  By  gestures  and  looks. 

d.  By  any  contrivance,  such  as  the  telegraph, 

for  conveying  thoughts. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Luke  10:36,  37;  I  Kings  17:1;  Heb.  4:13. 


286  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

QUESTION  LXXVII. 

What  is  required  in  the  Ninth  Command- 
ment? 

ANSWER. 

The  Ninth  Commandment  requireth  the 
maintaining  and  promoting  of  truth  between 
man  and  man  and  of  our  own  and  our  neighbor's 
good  name,  especially  in  witness-bearing. 

Q.  I.  Who  are  the  parties  chiefly  contemplated  in 
this  Commandment? 

A.     Ourselves  and  our  neighbors,  or  fellowmen. 

Q.  2.  Is  it  not  possible  for  men  to  bear  false  wit- 
ness against  God? 

A.  Yes.  They  may  slander  God  in  words  and  mis- 
represent Him  in  their  lives.  Job  42:7,  8;  Mai.  2:17;  2 
Sam.  12:14;  Is,  52:5;  Rom.  2:24. 

Q,  3.  Is  this  Commandment,  however,  directed 
against  the  sin  of  misrepresenting  God? 

A.  No.  The  first  three  Commandments  bear  upon 
this  point.  The  Ninth  Commandment  is  meant  to  regu- 
late our  attitude  toward  our  neighbor. 

Q.  4.  May  it  not  be  said  that  if  to  bear  false  wit- 
ness against  our  neighbor  is  a  sin,  much  more  is  it  a 
sin  to  bear  false  witness  against  God? 

A,     Assuredly  yes. 

Q.  5.     Can  a  man  bear  false  witness  against  himself? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  6.     How^  can  a  man  misrepresent  himself? 

A.     a.  By  unmerited  self-praise; 
b.  By  improper  self-accusation. 

Q.  7.  May  not  the  language  of  self -depreciation 
proceed  from  a  desire  to  appear  candid  and  to  elicit 
encomiums? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  8.  May  it  be  our  duty  to  defend  our  reputation 
v/hen  it  is  unjustly  assailed? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  287 

A.  Yes.  To  do  so  may  be  in  the  interest  of  both 
ourselves  and  others. 

Q.  9.     Is  a  man  under  obligation  to  accuse  himself 
of  misdeeds  which  are  known  only  to  himself  and  God? 
A.     Not  in  ordinary  circumstances. 
Q.  10.     Mention  a  case  in  which  a  man,  unaccused 
and  unsuspected,  though  guilty,  might  be  under  obliga- 
tion to  acknowledge  himself  guilty  of  an  offense? 

A.  When  he  desires  to  exonerate  one  unjustly  ac- 
cused of  the  offense  in  question. 

Q.  II.  What  is  meant  by  the  direction  given  in 
James  5:15:  "Confess  your  faults  (or  sins)  one  to 
another"  ? 

A.     a.  Obviously  this  affords  no  help  to  the  Popish 
claim  that  confession  of  sin  is  to  be  made 
to  a  so-called  "priest";  for  Christians  are 
directed  to  confess  to  one  another; 
b.  This  is  an  injunction  tO'  the  effect  that  if  we 
have  in  any  way  wronged  our  neighbor, 
and  particularly  our  fellow-Christian,  we 
should  acknowledge  our  fault  to  him  as 
well  as  to  God. 
Q.   12.     How  might  it  be  deduced  from  the  Ninth 
Commandment  that  it  is  our  duty  to  maintain  our  own 
good  name? 

A.  If  we  are  bound  to  love  ourselves  at  least 
equally  with  our  neighbors,  it  is  at  least  as  incumbent 
on  us  to  maintain  and  defend  our  own  good  name  as  it 
is  to  maintain  and  defend  theirs. 

Q.  13.  How  can  we  bear  false  witness  against  our 
neighbor  ? 

A.  a.  Principally,  if,  when  called  to  testify  before  a 
court,  civil  or  ecclesiastical,  we  allege  or 
insinuate  anything  derogatory  to  others, 
knowing  it  to  be  false,  or  not  persuaded 
of  its  truth ; 


288  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

b.  When,  in  ordinary  intercourse,  we  allege  or 
insinuate  something  fitted  to  injure  the 
reputation  of  others,  knowing  that  the 
representation  is  false,  or  at  least  ques- 
tionable. 
Q.  14.  How  may  we  be  partners  with  liars,  while 
ourselves  mute? 

A.  By  listening  to  them  and  seeming  to  counte- 
nance them  in  their  spiteful  or  reckless  assaults  on  the 
character  of  others. 

Q.  15.  Mention  some  considerations  fitted  to  pro- 
mote truthfulness. 

A.    a.  The  fact  that  God  hates  lying.    Num.  23:19; 
Prov.  6:19; 

b.  The  fact  that  He  has  declared  His  purpose  to 

punish  liars.     Rev.  21:8; 

c.  The  fact  that  even  in  this  world  a  lie  is  apt 

to  be  detected; 

d.  The  fact  that  each  of  us  is  exposed  to  the  at- 

tacks of  liars. 
The  last  two  considerations  are  prudential,  indeed; 
yet  of  some  weight. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Job  42:7,  8;  Mai.  3:13,  14;  Jas.  5:15;  Num.  23:19; 
Prov.  6:19;  Rev.  21 :8. 


QUESTION  LXXVIII. 

What  is  forbidden  in  the  Ninth  Command- 
ment? 

ANSWER. 

The  Ninth  Commandment  forbiddeth  what- 
soever is  prejudicial  to  truth,  or  injurious  to  our 
own  or  our  neighbor's  good  name. 

Q.  I.     Is  falsehood,  however  free  from  malice,  and 
however  harmless  in  its  immediate  effect,  unlawful? 
A.     Yes,  being  forbidden  by  God. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  289 

Q.  2.  Can  a  writer  of  fiction  be  properly  charged 
with  falsehood? 

A.  No,  if  he  does  not  profess  to  relate  actual  oc- 
currences. 

Q.  3.  May  not  an  author  of  fiction,  however,  be 
guilty  of  gross  misrepresentation  and  slander? 

A.     Yes.     a.  He   may  treat   unfairly  and   wittingly 
misrepresent   the    character   of   historical 
personages ; 
h.  He  may  frame  tales  so  as  to  bring  reproach 
upon     the     noblest     cause.       Malignant 
slanders  may  thus  be  propagated. 
Q.    4.     Account    for    the    conduct    of     Christ    at 
Emmaus,   when   "He   made   as   though    He   would   gp 
farther."    Luke  24:28. 

A.     a.  Our  Lord  acted  thus  to  draw  out  the  feeling 
of  His  fellow-travelers,  and  afford  them 
an  occasion  for  urging  Him  to  abide  with 
them; 
h.  But  had  they  not  besought  Him  to  remain 
with  them,  He  would  have  passed  on. 
Q.  5.     Are  we  forbidden  in  this  Commandment  to 
lend  an  ear  readily  to  evil  reports  about  our  fellowmen? 
A.     Yes.    Ps.  15:3;  loi  :5. 

Q.  6.  What  is  the  Jesuitical  doctrine  of  "mental 
reservation"  ? 

A.  That  for  a  good  purpose  one  is  at  liberty  to  de- 
clare a  thing  as  true  which  he  knows  to  be  false,  provid- 
ed he  inwardly  denies,  or  modifies,  his  statement.  For 
instance,  if  a  witness  is  asked  to  state  what  he  knows  of 
a  certain  matter,  he  may  say  he  knows  nothing  about 
it,  meaning  nothing  which  he  feels  at  liberty  to  tell. 
Q.  7.     Is  this  allowable? 

A.  No.  It  is  simply  lying.  Ps.  15:2.  If  such  a 
practice  were  to  become  common,  the  confidence  of  man 
in  man  would  be  destroyed,  and  society  dissolved.* 

*See  Note  at  the  end  of  Question  LXXVIII. 


290  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  8.  Is  it  in  time  of  war  lawful  to  lie  in  order  to 
mislead  an  enemy? 

A.  Not  in  the  actual  use  of  words;  but  it  is  lawful 
to  make  movements  and  signals  to  deceive  the  enemy. 
Joshua  8:2. 

Q.  9.     Why  is  this  lawful? 

A.  Because  the  enemy  is  not  entitled  to  informa- 
tion, and  knows  that  to  trust  to  appearances  is  hazard- 
ous. The  inferences  which  he  makes  are  his  own,  al- 
though the  opposing  party  may  wish  he  should  make 
them. 

Q.  10.  If  we  may  make  feints  in  time  of  war  to  de- 
ceive our  enemy,  why  may  we  not  use  false  words  to 
mislead  him? 

A.  Because  the  meaning  of  words  is  fixed,  and  not 
a  matter  of  mere  inference ;  whereas  the  meaning  of 
other  signs  is  not  fixed,  but  inferential,  and  the  foe  must 
bear  the  consequences  of  the  inference  which  he  draws. 

Q.  II.     Is  it  lawful  to  lie  in  order  to  save  our  life? 

A.  No.  The  martyrs  for  Christ's  cause  and  crown 
m.ight  often  have  saved  their  lives  by  dissembling  their 
sentiments ;  but  they  are  applauded  for  being  faithful 
even  to  death.     Matt.  10:32,  33;  Heb.  11:25;  Rev.  2:10, 

13- 

Q.  12,     Is  it  proper  in  dealing  with  an  insane  person 

to  use  falsehood? 

A.  Perhaps  so;  because  such  a  person  is  as  much, 
or  as  really,  outside  the  range  of  reason  as  a  beast,  and 
may  be  dealt  with  according  to  the  whim  of  the  moment. 

Q.  13.  Is  a  lawyer  morally  warranted  to  profess 
belief  in  the  justice  of  his  client's  cause  unless  convinced 
that  it  is  just? 

A.  No.  He  may  present  the  case  of  his  client  in 
the  best  light  warranted  by  the  evidence ;  but  should  not 
express  an  opinion  which  he  does  not  feel  as  to  the 
justice  of  the  case. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  291 

Q.  14.  Is  it  right  to  promise  to  keep  something 
secret,  the  nature  of  which  is  at  the  time  unknown  to 
us? 

A.  No;  for  thus  we  might  be  unwittingly  engaging 
to  conceal  something  which  it  might  be  our  duty  to 
reveal. 

Q.  15.  Is  not  this  consideration  a  valid  objection  to 
all  secret  societies;  that  is,  societies  which  require  as  a 
condition  of  membership  a  promise  to  keep  secret  things 
yet  unknown  to  the  applicant? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  16.  Is  one  who  has  entered  into  such  a  bond 
under  obligation  to  continue  in  the  society,  or  to  keep 
its  secrets  intrusted  to  him? 

A.  No.  He  is  under  obligation  to  renounce  it.  To 
enter  it  was  a  sin.  To  continue  in  it  would  be  an  addi- 
tional sin.  Withdrawal  is  a  duty.  The  evil  step  of 
entering  should  be  deplored  with  a  godly  sorrow,  the 
reality  of  which  should  be  proved  by  zeal  in  warning 
the  unwary  to  beware  of  the  trap  of  secretism. 

Q.  17.  What  distinctions  have  been  made  among 
lies? 

A.  They  have  been  classified  according  to  the 
motives  prompting  to  them  as  "officious,"  ''jocose,"  or 
jocular,  and  "pernicious,"  or  malignant. 

Q.  18.     What  is  an  "officious"  lie? 

A.  An  untruth  uttered  with  a  view  to  some  ad- 
vantage to  ourselves,  or  others. 

Q.  19.     What  is  a  "jocose,"  or  jocular,  lie? 

A.  It  is  one  uttered  for  the  purpose  of  amusement, 
or  even  of  instruction. 

Q.  20.     What  is  a  "pernicious,"  or  malignant,  lie? 

A.     A  falsehood  uttered  with  mischievous  intent. 

Q.  21.     Is  an  officious  lie  ever  lawful? 

A.  No.  Being  uttered  with  a  view  to  our  own  ad- 
vantage, or  to  that  of  others,  it  is  less  aggravated  than 
a  malignant  lie;  but  it  is  a  violation  of  the  Ninth  pre- 
cept.   Rom.  3:8. 


292  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  22.     Is  a  malignant  lie  ever  lawful? 

A.  No.  It  is  a  complex  sin,  being  a  breach  not  only 
of  the  Ninth  Commandment,  but  also  of  the  Sixth,  and 
often  of  other  Commandments. 

Q.  23.  Is  flattery  at  variance  with  this  Command- 
ment? 

A.  Yes;  for  flattery  is  praise,  or  honor,  bestowed 
insincerely,  that  is,  falsely. 

Q.  24.  Is  not  flattery  used  with  selfish  ends,  either 
to  puff  another  up  to  his  injury,  or  to  ingratiate  ourselves 
with  him  to  our  advantage? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  25.  May  not  true  regard  for  another  prompt  us 
to  reprove  and  admonish,  rather  than  to  flatter,  him? 

A.     Yes.    Lev.  19:17;  Gal.  4:16. 

Q.  26.  Is  it  contrary  to  the  spirit  of  this  precept  to 
deny  the  faith  in  any  particular  in  order  to  avoid  perse- 
cution? 

A.     Yes.     Matt.  10:38,  39;  16:25;  Heb.  12:25-27. 

Q.  27.  If  able  to  do  it,  is  a  Christian  at  liberty  to 
flee  or  hide  from  his  persecutors? 

A.  Yes.  It  is  even  his  duty  to  do  so,  unless  it  is 
clear  to  him  that  by  exposing  himself  he  may  further 
the  cause  of  Christ  more.  Matt.  24:16;  10:23;  Heb.  11: 
37,  38. 

Q.  28.  Is  not  the  principle  which  some  Papists 
have  advocated,  that  faith  is  not  to  be  kept  with  heretics, 
utterly  at  variance  with  this  Commandment? 

A.  Yes.  It  makes  our  obligation  to  veracity  de- 
pendent on  the  character  of  the  persons  with  whom  we 
deal.  As  well  might  it  be  maintained  that  we  have  a 
right  to  defraud  a  heretic,  as  to  lie  to  him. 

Q.  29.  Present  some  considerations  fitted  to  enforce 
this  Commandment. 

A.     a.  God  cannot  lie,  and  we  should  be  like  Him. 
Titus  1:2;  Heb.  6:18;  Eph.  5:1; 
b.  Liars   are   excluded   from   heaven.      Ps.   5 :6 ; 
Rev.  21:8; 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  293 

c.  Lying  tends  to  the  disruption  of  society; 

d.  The  ruin  of  our  race  was  wrought  by  lies. 

John  8:44; 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Ps.  15:2;  Rev.  2:10,  13;  Rom.  3:8;  Matt.  24:16;  Tit. 
1:2;  Heb.  6:18;  Eph.  5:1;  John  8:44. 


Note. 

Although  the  Jesuits  are  understood  to  be  the  most 
strenuous  advocates  of  the  propriety  of  saying  one  thing 
and  thinking  another,  the  charge  of  favoring  such  a  prac- 
tice may  be  made  against  Romanists  in  general.  It  is, 
for  instance,  a  prevailing  sentiment  among  them  that  a 
'priest  is  under  obligation  to  conceal,  even  when  put 
under  oath,  communications  made  to  him  in  the  confes- 
sional, and  to  say  that  he  does  not  know  a  certain  thing, 
meaning  that  he  does  not  know  it  as  a  thing  which  he 
is  at  liberty  to  reveal. 

But  this  is  an  instance  of  "mental  reservation,"  and 
tends  to  do  away  with  that  trust  of  man  in  man  which 
is  one  of  the  chief  bonds  of  society. 

In  another  way  the  charge  of  condoning  deception 
may  be  established  against  the  Romish  communion.  In 
that  body  countenance  is  practically  given  to  the  gross- 
est deceptions  with  a  view  to  the  retention  of  adherents 
and  the  acquisition  of  wealth. 

To  mention  the  impostures  practiced  for  these  ends 
would  be  at  once  an  easy  and  a  tedious  task.  That  the 
authorities  are  aware  of  the  deception  used  to  impress 
and '  fleece  the  multitude  is  beyond  reasonable  doubt. 
Flaming  accounts  have  appeared,  for  instance,  within 
recent  years  of  the  wonder-working  power  of  an  alleged 
bone  of  the  arm  of  St.  Ann,  the  supposed  mother  of  the 
Virgin  Mary.  Even  in  the  City  of  New  York  multi- 
tudes have  sought  the  healing  virtue  of  this  bone,  which 
good  judges  pronounce  to  be  "3.  chicken  bone";  and  a 


294  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

steady  flow  of  gold  into  the  coffers  of  the  church  is  the 
result. 

It  may  be  said  that  this  is  only  a  local  abuse  and 
not  chargeable  to  the  entire  communion.  But  has  any 
censure  of  the  resort  to  this  bone  for  cures  ever  been 
issued?  Has  the  archbishop  of  the  diocese  in  which 
this  fraud  is  practiced  ever  dealt  with  the  parties  who 
manipulate  this  bone  for  their  own  ends?  or  has  any 
warning  to  the  deluded  people  to  beware  of  deception 
and  cease  seeking  help  from  an  alleged  bone  of  a  sup- 
posed woman  ever  been  issued?  Who  can  enumerate 
the  instances  of  like  deception  which  even  in  this  day  of 
boasted  light  are  receiving  the  countenance  and  most 
marked  patronage  of  that  apostasy  which  centers  in 
Rome? 


QUESTION  LXXIX. 
Which  is  the  Tenth  Commandment? 

ANSWER. 

The  Tenth  Commandment  is:  "Thou  shalt 
not  covet  thy  neighbor's  house,  thou  shalt  not 
covet  thy  neighbor's  wife,  nor  his  man-servant, 
nor  his  maid-servant,  nor  his  ox,  nor  his  ass,  nor 
anything  that  is  thy  neighbor's." 

Q.  I.  What  violence  does  this  Commandment 
suffer  at  the  hands  of  Roman  Catholic  expositors? 

A.  It  is  divided  by  them;  the  first  clause  being 
styled  the  Ninth  Commandment,  and  the  remainder  the 
Tenth. 

Q.  2.     What  impels  them  to  such  severance? 

A.  The  desire  to  cast  the  Second  Commandment 
into  the  shade  by  blending  it  with  the  First,  together 
with  the  necessity  of  making  a  list  of  Ten  Command- 
ments, The  treatment  of  the  Tenth  is  thus  the  reverse 
of  that  to  which  the  Second  is  subjected. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  295 

Q.  3.  What  plea  is  urged  by  Romanists  in  favor  of 
this  division? 

A.  The  repetition  of  the  clause,  "Thou  shalt  not 
covet,"  argues,  say  they,  a  distinct  precept. 

Q.  4.     Disprove  the  Popish  view  of  this  matter. 
A.     a.  Coveting   is   one   affection,   however    various 
may  be  the  objects  coveted; 

b.  If  the  affection  varies  with  the  diversity  of 

objects,  then  there  must  be  as  many  kinds 
of  cupidity  as  there  are  various  objects, 
and  hence  a  corresponding  number  of 
commandments ; 

c.  In  the  form  of  the  Decalogue,  which  is  given 

in  Deut.  5  :6-2i,  the  order  of  clauses  is  re- 
versed, the  neighbor's  "wife"  being  men- 
tioned first,  and  his  "house"  second ; 

d.  The  repetition  of  the  clause,  "Thou  shalt  not 

covet,"  of  which  Romanists  make  so 
much  account,  no  more  proves  that  two 
commandments  are  expressed  than  a  like 
repetition  in  the  beginning  of  the  Deca- 
logue, "Thou  shalt  not  make  untO'  thee 
any  graven  image"  and  "Thou  shalt  not 
bow  down  thyself  to  them,"  proves  a 
twofold  precept. 
Q.  5.     What  is  covetousness  ? 

A.  It  is  a  form  of  selfishness ;  being  a  desire  to  ac- 
quire something  belonging  to  another  without  giving 
him  an  equivalent  for  it. 

Q.  6.  In  what  respect  is  this  Commandment  pecu- 
liarly instructive? 

A.  In  the  fact  that  it  expressly  forbids  a  mental 
aft'ection,  and  not  a  mere  outward  act. 

Q.  7.  Is  it  implied  in  it  that  the  very  inclination, 
or  tendency,  of  the  soul,  though  never  expressed  in  out- 
ward action,  may  be  sinful  or  holy? 

A.  Yes.  The  disposition,  as  well  as  the  outward 
act,  is  within  the  sphere  of  the  moral  law.    We  are  there- 


296  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

fore  accountable  for  our  inclinations,  as  well  as  for  their 
outward  expression, 

Q.  8.  Is  not  this  shown  in  the  "Sermon  on  the 
Mount"  to  be  true  in  respect  to  all  the  Commandments? 

A.     Yes.    Matt.  5  -.22,  28. 

Q.  9.  What  is  meant  by  the  statement  in  Rom.  7 : 
7,  "For  I  had  not  known  lust  (or  coveting)  except  the 
law  had  said,  Thou  shalt  not  covet"? 

A.  This  means  that  Paul,  who  had  thought  that 
only  outward  violations  of  the  law  are  sinful,  was  cured 
of  his  mistake  by  noticing  that  in  the  Tenth  Command- 
ment covetousness,  which  is  an  affection  of  the  mind,  is 
forbidden. 

Q.  10.  In  the  phrase  often  used,  "the  spirituality  of 
the  law,"  what  is  the  idea  embraced? 

A.  Not  that  the  law  is  holy,  although  it  is  holy, 
but  that  it  applies  to  the  moral  state  and  tendencies  of 
the  soul,  as  well  as  to  the  outward  conduct. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Matt.  5:22,  28;  Rom.  77;  Col.  3:5;  Heb.  13:5. 


QUESTION  LXXX. 

What  is  required  in  the  Tenth  Command- 
ment? 

ANSWER. 

The  Tenth  Commandment  requireth  full 
contentment  with  our  own  condition,  with  a 
right  and  charitable  frame  of  spirit  toward  our 
neighbor  and  all  that  is  his. 

Q.  I.     What  lies  at  the  root  of  covetousness? 

A.  Dissatisfaction  with  our  own  possessions,  as 
not  being  sufficient. 

Q.  2.     Is  it  our  duty  to  be  contented? 

A.  Yes;  so  far  as  concerns  God's  allotment  to  us. 
I  Tim.  6:6-8;  Heb.  13:5;  Phil.  4:11,  12. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  297 

Q.  3.  Are  we  required  to  be  satisfied  with  our  own 
management  and  acquirements  in  temporal  things? 

A.  No.  We  may  often  have  reason  to  blame  our- 
selves for  indiscretion  and  indolence;  while  submissive- 
ly bowing  to  God  in  His  dealings  with  us. 

Q.  4.  Offer  some  considerations  fitted  to  induce  in 
us  a  spirit  of  contentment  with  our  lot. 

A.  a.  The  thought  that  we  are  sinners,  undeserv- 
ing and  ill-deserving,  should  make  us  sub- 
missive and  patient  under  trials,  and 
grateful  for  any  favor  shown  us  by  God. 
Ezra  9:13;  Lam.  3:22; 
h.  The  thought  that  things  which  seem  adverse 
may  be  most  salutary  to  us.  2  Cor.  12: 
9,  10;  Heb.  12:6,  II ; 

c.  The  thought  that  "the  time  is  short"  and  that 

the  trials  of  this  life  shall  soon  be  over. 
I  Cor.  7:29-31; 

d.  The  thought  that  ruin   may  follow  the   ac- 

quisition of  temporal  good.  Ps.  37:8,  9; 
Jas.  5  :3 ; 

e.  The  thought  of  future  bliss  in  store  for  us 

may  soothe  and  cheer  in  present  trials. 
Ps.  73:24;  2  Cor.  4:17,  18. 

Q.  5.  Are  we  required  to  rejoice  in  the  good  which 
others  enjoy? 

A.     Yes.     Rom.  12:15;  13:8-10. 

Q.  6.  Yet  may  we  not  rejoice  in  the  downfall  of 
some  men  and  even  pray  for  it? 

•A.  Yes;  considering  them  as  foes  of  God  and  man, 
we  may  pray  for  their  overthrow.  In  this  light  those 
Psalms  often  spoken  of  as  "cursing  psalms"  are  to  be 
viewed.    Rev.  18:6,  20. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

I  Tim.  6:6-8;  Heb.  13:5;  Phil.  4:11,  12;  i  Cor.  12: 
9,  10;  Jas.  5:3;  2  Cor.  4:17,  18;  Rom.  12:15. 


298  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

QUESTION  LXXXI. 

What  is  forbidden  in  the  Tenth  Command- 
ment? 

ANSWER. 

The  Tenth  Commandment  forbiddeth  all 
discontentment  with  our  own  estate,  envying  or 
grieving  at  the  good  of  our  neighbor,  and  all  in- 
ordinate motions  and  affections  to  anything  that 
is  his. 

Q.  I.     What  is  envy? 

A.  It  is  a  complex  affection,  involving  a  sense  of 
our  inferiority  to  another  in  some  respect,  a  wish  to  ap- 
propriate to  ourselves  this  desirable  thing,  together  with 
a  feeling  of  ill  will  to  him  who  has  it. 

Q.  2.  Show  how  this  affection  conflicts  with  the 
law  of  love. 

A.  It  embraces  a  spirit  of  theft  and,  besides,  of  ill 
will  to  him  from  whom  we  would  fain  steal. 

Q.  3.  Mention  a  biblical  character  in  whom  this 
base  affection  was  signally  conspicuous? 

A,  King  Saul,  who  perceived  David's  distinction, 
desired  to  have  it,  and  hated  him  for  it. 

Q.  4.  Mention  some  texts  which  indicate  the  preva- 
lence and  baseness  of  this  affection. 

A.     Prov.  14:30;  27:4;  Rom.  1:29;  Gal.  5:21;  Titus 

3:3- 

Q.  5.  Is  the  spirit  of  covetousness,  even  though 
checked  and  not  resulting  in  actual  theft,  unlawful? 

A.  Yes.  Our  Lord's  interpretation  of  the  law  war- 
rants this  conclusion.     Matt.  5:22,  28. 

Q.  6.  How  do  Romanists  err  in  the  interpretation 
of  the  Tenth  Commandment? 

A.  In  two  ways,  namely,  by  disregarding  its 
unity,  as  already  pointed  out,  and  limiting  its  range. 

Q.  7.  How  do  thej^  by  their  interpretation  limit  its 
range? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  299 

A.  They  teach  that  "concupiscence"  is  not  sin,  but 
the  soil  out  of  which  sin  may  spring. 

Q.  8.  According  to  this  view  might  a  man  really 
covet  his  neighbor's  goods  without  sin? 

A.  Yes,  provided  he  did  not  by  force  or  fraud  seek 
to  acquire  them. 

Q.  9.  Is  this  interpretation  in  accordance  with  the 
teaching  of  Paul  in  Rom.  7:7,  8,  11,  21-23? 

A.  No.  In  these  passages  the  apostle  shows  that 
the  least  leaning  toward  sin  is  itself  sin,  however  check- 
ed. 

Q.  10.  In  what  ways  may  sin  present  itself  to  the 
mind? 

A.     a.  Ideally,  so  that  we  have  a  conception  of  it, 

b.  Repulsively,  as  awakening  in  us  repugnance ; 

c.  Attractively,  as  something  to  which  we  feel 

drawn ; 

d.  Prevailingly,  securing  our  consent  to  it,  al- 

though   not  without   misgivings   and   re- 
luctance ; 

e.  Imperiously,  as  having  full  sway. 

Q.  II.     Is  the  conception,  or  bare  idea,  of  sin  sinful? 

A.     No.    The  Bible  itself  explains  to  us  what  sin  is. 

Q.  12.  Are  we  defiled  by  sin  when  it  attracts  us, 
as  well  as  when  it  controls  us? 

A.     Yes,  though  not  in  the  same  degree. 

Q.  13.  Wherein  does  the  Tenth  Commandment 
overlap  and  enforce  the  Eighth  Commandment? 

A.  In  forbidding  expressly  the  state  of  mind,  name- 
ly, covetousness,  from  which  actual  stealing  proceeds. 

Q.  14.  May  not  a  consideration  of  the  penetrating 
nature  of  this  last  precept  of  the  Decalogue  impel  each 
of  us  to  say,  "Create  in  me  a  clean  heart,  O  God;  and 
renew  a  right  spirit  within  me"  (Psalm  51  :io)? 

A.     Surely  so. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Prov.  14:30;  27:4;  Tit.  3:3;  Rom.  7:7,  8,  11;  Ps. 
5i:to. 


300  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

QUESTION  LXXXII. 

Is  any  man  able  perfectly  to  keep  the  Com- 
mandments of  God? 

ANSWER. 

No  mere  man  since  the  fall  is  able,  in  this 
life,  perfectly  to  keep  the  Commandments  of 
God,  but  doth  daily  break  them  in  thought, 
word,  and  deed. 

Q.  I.  What  is  meant  by  the  "fall"  mentioned  in 
the  answer  given  to  the  foregoing  question? 

A.  The  lapse  of  our  first  parents  into  a  state  of  sin 
and  condemnation. 

Q.  2.  Are  there  not  those  who  teach  that  the  event 
called  "the  fall,"  instead  of  being  a  catastrophe,  was  an 
advance,  "a  fall  up,"  being  that  stage  in  the  "evolution" 
of  man  when  he  became  a  moral  agent  and  a  responsible 
being  ? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  3.  Is  this  view  incompatible  with  the  teaching 
of  the  Word  of  God? 

A.  Yes;  although  favored  by  some  who  profess 
confidence  in  the  Scriptures. 

Q.  4.  Present  some  particulars  in  which  this  view 
is  discountenanced  in  Scripture. 

A.  a.  Man,  according  to  the  teaching  of  Scripture, 
was  made  at  first  in  the  image  of  God. 
But  that  image  includes  both  moral 
agency  and  holiness.  Gen.  i  :26,  27;  EccL 
7:29; 

b.  In  prescribing  to   him   a  line   of  duty,    God 

treated  Adam  as  already  a  moral  agent.. 
Gen.  2:16,  17; 

c.  If  not  already  a  moral  agent,  Adam  could  not 

have  committed  sin,  which  we  know  he. 
I  did ; 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  301 

d.  The  Scriptures  represent  the  act  of  disobedi- 
ence in  the  garden  of  Eden  as  a  dire  ca- 
tastrophe (Rom.  5:12);  whereas  the  at- 
tainment of  the  standing  of  a  moral  agent 
would  have  been  a  stupendous  advance. 

Q.  5.     What  is  meant  by  the  phrase  "mere  man"? 

A.     One  who  is  man,  and  no  more  than  man. 

Q.  6.     Is  Christ  a  mere  man? 

A.  No;  He  is  God,  as  well  as  man.  John  1:1,  2; 
Rom.  9:5. 

Q.  7.     Was  He  always  man? 

A.  No.  He  was  always  God ;  but  in  "the  fulness  of 
time"  He  assumed  our  nature,  which  He  shall  evermore 
retain.  John  1:14;  Gal.  4:4;  Phil.  2:6-9;  Heb.  7:23-25; 
-Rev.  1:18. 

Q.  8.  Was  any  mere  human  being  ever  able  to  keep 
the  Commandments  of  God  perfectly? 

A.  Yes.  Adam  and  Eve  were  created  in  holiness, 
and  perfectly  equipped  for  keeping  the  law.  Gen.  1:27; 
Eccl.  7:29. 

Q.  9.  Shall  any  mere  man  ever  be  able  to  keep  per- 
fectly the  Commandments  of  God? 

A.  Yes;  through  the  grace  of  God  a  vast  multitude 
of  fallen  human  beings  shall  be  made  perfectly  conform- 
able to  the  moral  law.  i  Cor.  15:56,  57;  Eph.  4:11-13; 
5:26,  27;  Heb.  12:23;  Rev.  21:27. 

Q.  10.  Can  mere  men  in  this  life  perfectly  keep  the 
Commandments  of  God? 

A.     They  can  keep  them,  but  not  perfectly. 

Q.  II.  When  may  one  be  said  to  keep  these  Com- 
mandments? 

A.  When  the  prevailing  bent  of  his  soul  is  toward 
God  and  in  consonance  with  His  law ;  just  as  a  ship  may, 
in  the  main,  steer  toward  the  desired  port,  although  often 
deviating  from  the  direct  course. 

Q.  12.  Has  any  mere  m£in  since  the  fall  ever  in 
this  life  perfectly  kept,  or  obeyed,  the  law  of  God? 


302  AM  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.  No.  Jesus  Christ  did  so  keep  it;  but  He  is  not 
a  mere  man. 

Q.  13.  Offer  proof  of  the  position  that  sinless  per- 
fection is  unattainable  in  this  life. 

A.  a.  There  are  positive  assertions  to  this  effect  in 
Scripture.  See  i  Kings  8:46;  Eccl.  7:20; 
Jas.  3  :2 ;  I  John  i  :8. 

b.  Tlie  most  eminent  saints  brought  to  view  in 

Scripture  confess  and  bew^ail  their  sinful- 
ness. A  notable  instance  is  that  of  Paul, 
who  in  Rom.  7:14-24  describes  and  de- 
plores the  struggle  which  he  needed  to 
wage  with  indwelling  sin,  that  is,  with  the 
corruption,  subdued  indeed,  still  lurk- 
ing in  his  heart. 

c.  When  perfect  holiness  has  been  attained,  af- 

flictions are  out  of  place ;  for  the  immedi- 
ate object  of  them  is  to  v/ean  from  sin. 
But  no  one  in  this  life  is  free  from  afflic- 
tions, or  at  least  the  liability  to  them. 
John  16:33;  Heb.  12:7. 

d.  In  I  John  3  :3  we  are  told  that  every  man  who 

has  genuine  Christian  hope  purifies  him- 
self.     Now    this    implies    that    in    every 
Christian  in  this  world  there  is  impurity, 
that  is,  sin. 
Q.  14.     How  may  the  objection  be  answered  that  in 
Scripture  some  men  are  described    as    perfect    in    this 
life?    See  Gen,  6:9;  Job  1:8;  Ps.  37:37. 

A.  There  are  several  respects  in  which  men,  not 
sinless,  may  be  pronounced  perfect.  For  instance, 

a.  One     may     be     comparatively     perfect,     the 

contrast  between  him  and  others  being 
so  marked ; 

b.  One   may   be   constitutively   perfect,   all    the 

essential  elements  of  a  perfect  character 
being  found  in  him,  although  in  an  imper- 
fect degree.  One  might  be  perfectly  a 
human  being  without  being  a  perfect 
human  being; 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  303 

c.  Every  believer  in   Christ  is  representatively 
perfect;  being   complete   in  Him.     Rom. 
8:i;  I  Cor,  1:30;  Col.  2:10. 
Q.  15.     But  are  we  not  warranted  to  pray  for  com- 
plete sanctiftcation  ? 

A.  We  are  to  pray  for  full  salvation ;  yet  God  may 
have  reasons  for  granting  this  only  gradually;  and  our 
petitions  should  be  offered  submissively. 

Q.  16.  Does  not  the  pretension  of  some  to  have 
reached  a  condition  of  sinless  sanctity  rest  largely  on  a 
misunderstanding  as  to  the  breadth  and  depth  of  the 
law? 

A.  Yes.  Some  of  them  say  that  the  law  which  we 
are  to  keep  is  not  so  broad  or  exacting  as  that  which 
was  binding  on  Adam  when  he  was  created.  Leanings 
to  sin,  some  say,  are  not  to  be  accounted  sinful,  unless 
they  are  yielded  to.  The  law  being  thus  lowered,  the 
claim  to  the  attainment  of  perfect  conformity  to  it  be- 
comes more  feasible. 

Q.  17.  Is  not  the  doctrine  of  perfectionism  fraught 
with  danger  to  those  who  hold  it? 

A.     Yes,  in  different  respects,  particularly, 

a.  It   tends   to  puff   up   those   who   think   they 

have  made  the  high  attainment ; 
h.  As  it  rests  ultimately  on  a  lowered  concep- 
tion   of   the    law,    it    tends    to   a    further 
lowering  of  the  standard  of  morality; 

c.  It  is  apt  to  foster  a  false  feeling  of  security 

in  those  who  count  themselves  complete ; 

d.  A  supercilious  attitude  toward  others  less  ad- 

vanced is  apt  to  grow  up  in  those  who 
deem  themselves  perfect  in  sanctity. 
Q.  18.     What  may  believers  learn  from  the  fact  that 
though  sin  shall  not  reign,  it  shall  dwell  in  them  while 
they  are  in  this  life? 

A.  They  may  learn  the  malignity  of  sin,  together 
with  their  need  of  daily  cleansing  and  of  constant  watch- 
fulness. 


304  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  19.  Is  not  heaven  enhanced  in  attractiveness  by 
the  prospect  it  affords  of  complete  and  final  deliverance 
from  sin? 

A.  Yes.  In  it  the  struggle,  ever  necessary  in  this 
life,  shall  cease,  and  the  song  of  perpetual  triumph  be 
sung.     I  Cor.  15:56,  57.* 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Eccl.  7:29;  Rom.  5:12;  John  1:14;  Heb.  7:23-25; 
Eph.  4:11-13;  Jas.  3:2;  I  John  1:8. 


Note. 

It  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  present  here  a  few 
thoughts  touching  the  use  of  the  law  to  those  who  have 
been  regenerated  by  the  Holy  Spirit  and  to  those  who 
are  unrenewed,  respectively. 

To  the  former  class  the  moral  law  is  meant  and  fit- 
ted to  subserve  the  following  ends : 

a.  It  enunciates  duty,  or  sets  forth  the  rule  of 

life.  Mark,  it  is  not  given  to  believers 
as  a  rule  of  justification.  In  respect  to 
justification,  believers  are  delivered  from 
the  law.  The  stern  demand,  "Do  and 
Live,"  is  in  their  case  inverted  into  "Live 
and  Do."     Rom.  6:14;  10:4. 

b.  It  serves  them  for  purposes  of  self-examina- 

tion. 

c.  It  reveals  to  them  their  obligation  to  Christ 

for  His  perfect  keeping  of  the  law,  as 
well  as  bearing  of  its  penalty,  in  their 
room  and  stead.  Thus  the  contemplation 
of  the  law  of  God  violated  by  them,  but 
kept  and  magnified  by  Christ,  their 
surety,  tends  to  deepen  their  gratitude  to 
Him. 
To  the  latter  class,  men  still  in  their  sins,  the  moral 
law  may  serve  various  important  ends. 

*See  Note  at  the  end  of  Question  LXXXII. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  305 

a.  It  reveals  the  holy  character  of  its  Author, 

their  creator,  governor,  and  judge; 

b.  It  forms  a  standard  by  which  they  may  meas- 

ure themselves ; 

c.  It  is  fitted  to  humble  them  in  their  own  eyes ; 

d.  It  is  adapted  to  prove  to  them  their  utter  in- 

ability to  work  out  a  righteousness  for 
themselves ; 

e.  It  may  thus  show  them  their  need  of  Christ 

to  save  them,  and  in  this  limited  sense 
may  operate  as  a  schoolmaster  to  bring 
them  to  Him. 


QUESTION  LXXXIII. 

Are  all  transgressions  of  the  law  equally 
heinous? 

ANSWER. 

Some  sins,  in  themselves,  and  by  reason  of 
several  aggravations,  are  more  heinous  in  the 
sight  of  God  than  others. 

Q.  I.     In  what  respect  are  all  sins  equally  heinous? 

A.  In  being  all  alike  at  variance  with  the  law  of 
God.  I  John  3:4. 

Q.  2.  Is  there  a  sense  in  which  he  who  breaks  one 
commandment  may  be  said  to  break  all  the  command- 
ments ? 

A.     Yes.     Jas.  2:10. 

Q.  3.     Explain  this. 

A.  He  who  breaks  any  of  the  commandments  sets 
at  naught  the  one  central  authority  from  which  they  all 
proceed,  and  would  not  be  restrained  by  regard  to  that 
authority  from  breaking  any  or  all  of  them. 

Q.  4.  Are  not  some  sins,  however,  more  impious 
and  hateful  than  others? 

A.  Yes.  Some  in  their  own  nature,  and  some  by 
attendant  circumstances,  are  worse  than  others. 


306  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  5.  What  sins  are  in  their  own  nature  specially 
odious  ? 

A.  a.  Such  as  are  more  directly  leveled  against 
God;  as,  for  instance,  the  denial  of  His 
existence,  idolatry,  the  rejection  of  Christ 
as  a  Saviour; 
b.  Such  as  affect  most  injuriously  ourselves  and 
our  fellowmen,  as,  for  example,  murder, 
robbery,  licentiousness. 
Q.  6.     Is  any  sin  little? 

A.     Absolutely  viewed,  no  sin  is  little;  but  compara- 
tively considered,  some  sins  may  be  called  little. 
Q.  7.     What  is  an  aggravation  of  sin? 
A,     It    is    some    attendant    circumstance    of    a    sin 
w^hich  adds  to  its  native  turpitude,  or  vileness. 
Q.  8.     Give  an  illustration  in  point. 
A.     To  steal  is  a  sin ;  but  to  steal  from  one  who 
trusts  us,  or  who  has  befriended  us,  or  from  one  who  is 
needy,  or  when  we  are  not  pressed  by  povert}^,  is  an  ag- 
gravation of  the  sin  of  theft. 

Q.  9.  State  in  brief  the  circumstances  by  which  a 
sin  may  be  intensified,  or  aggravated. 

A.     Sins  ma}^  contract  aggravation  from 

a.  The  person  sinning; 

b.  The  person  sinned  against; 

c.  The  time  in  which  the  sin  is  done ; 

d.  The  place  where  it  is  done. 

Q.  10.  How  may  a  sin  contract  aggravation  from 
the  person  committing  it? 

A.  If  he  who  does  the  sin  is  possessed  of  much  ex- 
perience and  intelligence,  professes  to  be  a  disciple  of 
Christ,  and  wields  a  wide  influence,  the  offense  is  the 
greater. 

Q.  II.  How  may  a  sin  be  aggravated  by  reason  of 
the  person  sinned  against? 

A.  If  the  person  sinned  against  is  distinguished 
for  excellence,  or  one  to  whom  the  offender  is  bound  by 
special  ties,  the  sin  contracts  a  darker  hue. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  307 

Q.  12.  How  may  the  element  of  time  lend  enormity 
to  sin? 

A.  A  sin  done  on  Sabbath,  or  during  the  course  of 
some  sacred  or  solemn  service,  or  in  the  presence  of 
some  startling  providential  occurrence,  is  for  such 
reason  more  criminal. 

Q.  13.  How  may  the  place  where  it  is  done  impart 
malignity  to  sin? 

A.  To  sin  where  the  objects  around  us  are  vividly 
suggestive  of  sacred  things,  as,  for  instance,  in  a  place 
devoted  to  the  worship  of  God,  is  to  incur  deeper  guilt. 

Q.  14.  In  all  cases,  is  an  aggravated  sin  done 
in  the  face  of  special  circumstances  fitted  to  deter  from 
it? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  15.  Are  not  sins  aggravated  by  being  done  re- 
peatedly, deliberately,  boldly,  malignantly,  and  after 
many  warnings  and  remonstrances? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  16.  What  peculiar  classification  of  sins  is  made 
by  Romanists. 

A.     They  distinguish  sins  as  "mortal"  and  "venial." 

Q.  17.  What  is  a  mortal  sin,  according  to  this  classi- 
fication ? 

A.  It  is  one  which  either  intrinsically,  or  by  reason 
of  special  circumstances,  is  deadly. 

Q.  18.  How,  according  to  Popish  teaching,  may  a 
sin  not  intrinsically  mortal  become  mortal  by  reason  of 
circumstances? 

A.  A  jest,  or  idle  word,  say  they,  though  not  in 
itself  mortal,  becomes  mortal  if  uttered  with  the  intent 
of  producing  murder  or  some  other  gross  sin. 

Q.  19.     What  does  the  word  "venial"  mean? 

A.  Pardonable,  or  such  as  does  not  deserve  end- 
less punishment. 

Q.  20.     Is  not  every  sin  mortal? 

A.     Yes.     Rom.  6:23;  Jas.  2:10. 

Q.  21.     Yet  is  not  every  sin  pardonable? 


308  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.  Yes;  every  sin  for  which  pardon  is  rightly 
sought  in  this  world  shall  be  forgiven.  Is.  i:i8;  55:7; 
I  John  I  -.g. 

Q.  22.     Yet  is  there  not  an  unpardonable  sin? 

A,  Yes ;  but  that  sin  is  unpardonable  for  the  reason 
that  he  who  is  guilty  of  it  is  left  to  himself  and  will  not 
seek  forgiveness  in  the  appointed  way. 

Q.  23.  Does  not  the  Popish  distinction  of  sins  as 
mortal  and  venial  proceed  from,  and  tend  to  produce,  a 
low  estimate  of  the  evil  of  sin? 

A.     Assuredly  it  does. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

James  2:10;  Heb.  10:28,  29;  12:25;  Matt.  11:22-24; 
I  John  1:9;  Is.  1:18;  55:7. 


QUESTION  LXXXIV. 

What  doth  every  sin  deserve? 

ANSWER. 

Every  sin  deserveth  God's  wrath  and  curse, 
both  in  this  life  and  that  which  is  to  come. 

Q.  I.     What  is  meant  by  the  "wrath"  of  God? 

A.  Not  a  stormy  passion;  but  a  calm,  settled,  un- 
changeable aversion  and  antagonism. 

Q.  2.  Does  not  the  very  calmness  of  this  attitude 
lend  awe  to  it? 

A.  Yes.  His  wrath  is  not  mere  emotional  opposi- 
tion, but  has  the  fixedness  of  a  principle. 

Q.  3.     What  is  meant  by  the  "curse"  of  God? 

A.  It  is  the  practical  expression  of  His  wrath,  both 
in  the  way  of  denunciation  and  in  that  of  penal  infliction, 

Q.  4.  Does  every  sin,  great  or  small,  deserve  the 
perpetual  wrath  and  curse  of  God? 

A.  Yes.  Sin  is  rebellion  against  God.  It  is  a  blow 
struck  at  the  very  being  of  God. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  309 

Q.  5.  Are  all  sins,  then,  deserving  of  equal  punish- 
ment? 

A,  Yes,  as  to  duration ;  but  not  as  to  degree.  The 
punishment  of  every  sin  of  the  impenitent  shall  be  end- 
less; but  the  intensity  of  the  punishment  shall  vary  ac- 
cording to  the  turpitude  of  the  sin.  Luke  10:12,  14; 
Rom.  2:5,  6;  Rev.  2:23;  Luke  12:47,  48. 

Q.  6.  Prove  that  the  punishment  of  all  who  die  im- 
penitent shall  be  endless. 

A.  This  seems  clearly  taught  in  many  texts,  of 
which  the  following  are  a  part:  Dan.  12:2;  Matt,  26: 
24 ;  25  -.46 ;  Mark  9 :43,  48 ;  John  3  :36 ;  2  Thess.  i  :g ;  Rev. 
21  :8;  22:11 ;  John  3  :i6. 

Q.  7.  Is  the  notion  that  the  punishment  of  the 
wicked  shall  be  annihilation,  or  utter  extinction.  Scrip- 
tural ? 

A.  No.  The  moment  of  extinction  would  be  that 
of  the  cessation  of  pain,  and,  therefore,  of  punishment; 
whereas  the  texts  just  indicated  teach  the  perpetuity  of 
the  pain. 

Q.  8-  Do  not  the  sacred  writers  often  use  the  terms 
"death,"  "destruction,"  and  their  equivalents  to  signify 
ruin,  not  extinction,  of  being? 

A.  Yes.  Hosea  13:9;  i  Tim.  5:6;  Eph.  2:1;  Col. 
2:13. 

Q.  9.  If  the  wicked  are  to  be  annihilated,  will  not 
the  most  and  the  least  guilty  be  punished  in  the  same 
degree? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  10.  But  is  not  this  contrary  both  to  Scripture 
and  to  our  natural  sense  of  justice? 

A.     Yes.    Matt.  10:15;  11:22. 

Q.  II.  Why  do  men  so  strenuously  oppose  the 
doctrine  of  eternal  punishment? 

A.  a.  Partly  because  they  fail  to  perceive  the 
malignity  of  sin  as  rebellion  against  God ; 


310  ^.V  EXPOSITION  OF 

b.  Partly  because  they  love  sin,  and  wish  to  in- 
dulge in  it  unrestrained  by  dread  of  the 
final  reckoning.     "The  wish  is  father  to 
the  thought." 
Q.  12.     Is  not  the  modern  denial  of  the  doctrine  of 
eternal  punishment  but  a  reproduction  of  the  Tempter's 
lie,  "Ye  shall  not  surely  die"? 

A.     Yes ;  it  is  but  the  echo  of  the  first  lie  uttered  in 
the  earth. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Luke  io:i2,  14;  12:47,  48;  Rom.  2:5,  6;  Matt.  25: 
46;  John  3:36;  Col.  2:13. 


QUESTION  LXXXV. 


What  doth  God  require  of  us  that  we  may 
escape  His  wrath  and  curse  due  to  us  for  sin? 

ANSWER. 

To  escape  the  wrath  and  curse  of  God  due 
to  us  for  sin,  God  requireth  of  us  faith  in  Jesus 
Christ,  repentance  unto  life,  with  the  diligent 
use  of  all  the  outward  means  whereby  Christ 
communicateth  to  us  the  benefits  of  redemp- 
tion. 

Q.  I.     Is  not  the  salvation  of  sinners  wholly  of  God? 

A.  Yes.  God  from  eternity  purposed  this  salva- 
tion ;  in  the  "fulness  of  time"  provided  it ;  and  accord- 
ing to  His  sovereign  plan  imparts  it  to  men.  Eph.  1:4; 
Gal.  4:4,  5;  Eph.  2:8-10;  2  Tim.  1:9. 

Q.  2.  If  our  salvation  is  entirely  of  God,  why  is  it 
said  that  He  requires  anything  of  us  in  order  to  it? 

A.  God  deals  with  us  as  rational  beings;  and  hence 
in  saving  us  does  so  in  part  by  bringing  our  rational 
nature  and  even  our  bodily  powers  into  operation.  Prov. 
8:4;  Rom.  10:17;  12:1;  John  5:39. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  311 

Q.  3.  Does  He  require  us  to  do  anything  in  the 
way  of  meriting  salvation? 

A.  No.  We  are  to  receive  our  salvation  as  a  free, 
unmerited  gift  absolutely.  Rom.  3:28;  10:4;  i  Cor.  i: 
30;  Is.  55:1-3- 

Q.  4.  Are  we  capable  out  of  our  own  natural  re- 
sources to  do  even  this? 

A.     No.     Eph.  2:1,  8,  10;  Phil.  2:13. 

Q.  5.  Yet  ought  we  not  to  feel  it  to  be  both  our 
interest  and  our  duty  to  embrace  Christ  by  faith? 

A.  Yes.  Our  inability  to  do  so  is  our  sin,  and  can- 
not be  our  excuse  for  failure.  Our  aversion  to  Christ 
and  to  a  holy  salvation  cannot  form  an  apology  for  our 
unbelief. 

.     Q.  6.     What  is  meant  by  the  phrase,  "the  means  of 
grace"? 

A,  Those  methods  and  instrumentalities  appointed 
by  God  for  bringing  His  chosen  people  into  actual  pos- 
session and  full  enjoyment  of  salvation. 

Q.  7.     How  may  the  means  of  grace  be  classified? 

A.     As  inward  and  outward. 

Q.  8.     What  are  the  inward  means  of  grace? 

A.  Those  states  and  exercises  of  the  soul  which  at 
once  manifest  and  foster  its  spiritual  life,  such  as  faith, 
repentance,  hope. 

Q.  g.  Which  of  these  is  the  chief  inward  means  of 
grace? 

A.  Faith.  Luke  22:32;  Acts  15:9;  Eph.  2:8;  i 
John  5  :4. 

Q.  10.     What  are  the  outward  means  of  grace? 

A.  Those  expedients  appointed  by  God  for  the  pro- 
duction and  promotion  of  holiness  in  men. 

Q.  II.  What  are  the  principal  outward  means  of 
grace  ? 

A.  The  Word,  or  Scriptures,  the  sacraments,  and 
prayer. 

Q.  12.  Name  some  other  outward  means  not  ex- 
pressly mentioned,  though  implied,  in  the  foregoing 
summary. 


312  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.  The  order,  fellowship,  and  discipline  of  the 
Church;  the  Sabbath;  fasting;  meditation;  beneficence, 
in  the  form  of  labor  and  gifts  for  the  welfare  of  others. 
I  Cor.  5:5;  Is.  56:2;  58:13,  14;  Prov.  11:24,  25;  Phil.  4: 
17;  Heb.  13:17. 

Q.  13.  May  providential  dispensations,  such  as 
sickness  and  temporal  losses,  prove  helpful  for  sanctify- 
ing men? 

A.  Yes,  in  a  secondary  sense,  that  is,  when  accom- 
panied by  the  Word  of  God  to  shed  light  upon  His  provi- 
dential ordering.  Ps.  73:16,  17;  2  Cor.  4:17,  18;  Ps.  119: 
92. 

Q.  14.  What  is  meant  by  a  diligent  use  of  the 
means  of  grace? 

A.  An  earnest  and  persevering  use  of  them  with  a 
sense  at  once  of  our  need,  our  dependence,  and  our  re- 
sponsibility. 

Q.  15.  In  order  to  make  any  outward  means 
effectual  to  salvation,  what  is  requisite? 

A.  The  grace  of  God,  or  the  saving  operation  of 
the  Spirit  on  the  soul.  John  15:5;  Rom.  8:13,  14;  Zech. 
4:6;  12:10. 

Q.  16.  Has  God  attached  promises  to  a  diligent  use 
of  the  appointed  means  of  grace? 

A.  Yes.  Ex.  20:24;  Prov.  8:34;  Matt.  7:7,  8;  Rom. 
10:13-15. 

Q.  17.  Are  faith,  repentance,  and  the  use  of  out- 
ward means  conditions  of  salvation? 

A.  Not  in  the  sense  of  meritorious  conditions;  but 
of  conditions  of  connection.  The  only  meritorious  con- 
dition of  our  salvation  is  the  righteousness  of  Christ  as 
our  surety.     Rom.  3  :24 ;  10  •.4. 

TBXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Eph.  1:4;  2  Tim.  1:9;  Rom.  3:24,  28;  10:13-15;  Acts 
15:9;  I  Cor.  1:30;  Prov.  8:34. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  313 

QUESTION  LXXXVI. 

What  is  faith  in  Jesus  Christ? 

ANSWER. 

Faith  in  Jesus  Christ  is  a  saving  grace 
whereby  we  receive  and  rest  upon  Him  alone 
for  salvation,  as  He  is  offered  to  us  in  the 
gospel. 

Q.  I.     Are  there  different  kinds  of  faith? 

A.  Yes.  There  are  "historical"  faith,  the  faith  of 
"miracles,"  "temporary"  faith,  and  "saving"  faith. 

Q.  2.     What  is  historical  faith? 

A.  The  intellectual  conviction  that  the  statements 
contained  in  the  Bible,  particularly  those  pertaining  to 
Christ  and  the  way  of  salvation,  are  true. 

Q.  3.     What  is  the  faith  of  miracles? 

A.  The  belief  that  a  miracle  shall  be  wrought  by 
us,  or  for  us. 

Q.  4.  What  is  temporary  or,  as  Thomas  Boston 
calls  it,  "presumptuous"  faith? 

A.  It  is  historical  faith  touched  with  emotion;  the 
emotion,  however,  being  superficial  and  transient.  It  is 
the  sort  of  faith  described  in  the  case  of  the  stony  ground 
hearers.     Matt.  13:20,  21. 

Q.  5.     Is  there  anything  of  a  saving  nature  in  the 

forms  of  faith  thus  far  enumerated? 

A.  No.  Matt.  7:21-23;  Acts  8:13;  20:21;  i  Cor. 
13:2. 

Q.  6.     What  is  saving  faith? 

A.  It  is  a  genuine  reliance  of  the  soul  on  Christ  for 
deliverance  from  the  guilt,  power,  and  pollution  of  sin, 
and  for  full  salvation. 

Q.  7.  May  a  distinction  be  made  between  saving 
faith  and  justifying  faith? 

A.  Such  a  distinction  has  been  made  by  some,  but 
not  with  much  reason.  The  faith  by  which  a  man  ap- 
prehends Christ  for  justification  is  essentially  the  same 


314  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

as  that  which  continues  to  rest  on  Christ  for  sanctifica- 
tion.  In  each  case  there  is  reliance  upon  Christ.  In  the 
former  He  is  relied  upon  for  justifying  merit.  In  the 
latter  He  is  looked  to  for  help  to  repudiate  sin  and  grow 
in  holiness.  The  true  believer  rests  on  Christ  for  salva- 
tion, and  not  merely  for  justification.  Acts  15:9;  i  Pet. 
1:5,  9;  2  Pet.  1:5-7;  I  John  5:4. 

Q.  8.     Why  is  faith  in  Christ  called  a  "grace"? 

A.  Because  it  is  a  gift  of  God  bestowed  on  one 
who  does  not  deserve  it.  Gal.  5:22;  Eph.  2:8;  Phil,  i: 
29. 

Q.  9.  Does  not  man,  even  as  fallen,  possess  a  facul- 
ty, or  power,  of  faith? 

A.  Yes.  All  men  exercise  faith  in  a  certain  sense. 
They  trust  their  senses,  and  act  every  day  in  reliance 
upon  their  fellowmen  and  on  the  so-called  "laws  of  na- 
ture." 

Q.  10.  But  is  saving  faith  ever  exercised  unless  as 
the  fruit  of  the  special  grace  of  God? 

A.  No.  It  is  not  a  product  of  the  unrenewed  heart. 
John  ^-.^i  Acts  13:48;  16:14;  Gal.  5:22;  Gal.  2:8. 

Q.  II.  Why  is  faith  in  Jesus  Christ  called  a  "sav- 
ing" grace? 

A.  Not  because  it  merits  our  salvation  in  any  de- 
gree ;  but  because  it  forms  a  connecting  link  between  us 
and  Christ,  the  Saviour,  "the  Lord  our  righteousness." 

Q.  12.  Is  not  this  very  faith  a  part  of  the  salvation 
which  Christ  won  for  His  people? 

A.  Yes;  it  is  a  fruit  of  the  Spirit,  Whose  gracious 
operation  is  secured  and  made  sure  to  all  for  whom 
Christ  made  atonement.  John  14:26;  15:26;  16:14; 
Acts  2:33;  Rom.  8:9,  32;  Titus  2:14. 

Q.  13.     Is  faith  in  Christ  a  mere  intellectual  act? 

A.  No.  It  involves,  besides,  an  element  of 
emotion,  a  movement  of  the  will.     Rom.  10:10. 

Q.  14.  May  saving  faith  be  described  as  a  "receiv- 
ing" of  Christ? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  315 

A.  Yes.  It  is  a  response  to  the  gospel  offer  of 
Christ  as  a  Saviour.    John  i  :i2;  Col.  2:6. 

Q.  15.  Does  this  faith  involve  an  element  of  trust, 
or  reliance? 

A.  Yes.  Various  expressions  are  used  in  Scrip- 
ture which  exhibit  faith  in  Christ  in  this  light.  John  3 : 
16,  18,  36;  Acts  16:31;  Eph.  1:12;  2  Tim.  1:12. 

Q.  16.  State  in  brief  the  elements  involved  in  sav- 
ing faith. 

A.     Knowledge,  assent,  and  appropriation. 
Q.  17.     What  is  meant  by  knowledge  in  this  case? 
A.     A   conception   of   certain    things   alleged   to   be 
facts. 

Q.  18.     What  is  assent  as  an  element  of  faith? 
-  A.     It  is  a  recognition  of  the  truth  of  the  alleged 
facts.     Heb.  11  :i,  6. 

Q.  ig.  What  is  meant  by  "appropriation"  as  an  ele- 
ment of  saving  faith? 

A.  The  acceptance  of  the  truth  perceived  for  our 
own  deliverance,  guidance,  and  comfort. 

Q.  20.     Is  this  appropriation  an  essential  ingredient 
of  saving  faith? 
A.     Yes. 

Q.  21.  Present  reasons  for  so  thinking. 
A.  a.  In  the  gospel  Christ  is  offered  to  sinners  of 
our  race  as  a  Saviour,  and  he  who  accepts 
this  offer  accepts,  or  appropriates,  Christ 
as  his  Saviour; 
h.  Saving  faith  is  figuratively  set  forth  in  Scrip- 
ture as  an  eating  and  drinking.  Is.  55:1- 
3;  John  6:50-58;  Rev.  22:17.  But  to  eat 
and  drink  means  more  than  simply  to  be- 
lieve that  bread  and  water  are  offered  to 
us.  To  eat  and  to  drink  is  to  appropriate 
for  our  own  use  the  bread  and  water  pre- 
sented to  us.  But  for  this  appropriation, 
we  may,  in  the  presence  of  plenty,  die  of 
hunger  or  thirst. 


316  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 


Q.  22.     How  is  Christ  offered  to  us  in  the  gospel? 

A.     a.  He  is  offered  freely  and  unconditionally.     Is. 
55:1-3;  Matt.  11:28; 

b.  He    is   offered    particularly,    or    individually, 

that  is,  to  each  one  who  hears  the  gospel. 
Gal.  2:20;  Rev.  22:17; 

c.  He  is  offered  to  each  one  fully,  to  save  from 

sin,  as  well  as  from  the  punishment  of  it. 
I  Cor.  1:30;  Col.  2:9,  10; 

d.  He  is  offered  exclusively,  that  is,  as  the  only 

one  who  can  save.     Acts  4:12;  John  14: 
6;  I  Tim.  2:5. 

Q.  23.  In  the  exercise  of  saving  faith,  is  there  an 
element  of  assurance,  that  is,  a  persuasion,  or  confidence, 
that  we  shall  be  saved  by  Christ? 

A.  Yes.  Faith  in  Christ  is  trust  in  Him  as  a 
Saviour  to  its,  and  not  merely  as  a  Saviour  m  general. 

Q.  24.     Is  there  an,y  doubting  involved  in  faith? 

A.  No;  but  there  may  be  doubting  in  the  believer. 
Mark  9 :24. 

Q.  25.  Has  every  true  believer  a  feeling  of  assur- 
ance, or  a  persuasion,  that  he  shall  be  saved? 

A.  Yes,  in  proportion  to  the  degree  of  faith,  there 
shall  be  such  assurance,  or  persuasion. 

Q,  26.  What  is  the  difference  between  assurance 
of  faith  and  assurance  of  sense,  or  feeling? 

A.  Assurance  of  faith  is  that  kind  of  assurance,  or 
confidence,  which  belongs  tO'  the  very  act  of  faith ;  while 
assurance  of  sense,  or  feeling,  is  that  which  arises  froju 
a  perception  in  ourselves  of  the  marks  of  a  true  believer 
as  these  are  indicated  in  the  Scriptures,  as,  for  instance, 
in  I  John  3:14;  4:20. 

Q.  27.  May  a  true  believer  be  destitute  for  a  time 
of  the    assurance  of  sense? 

A.     Yes.    Ps.  32:3,  4;  Is.  50:10;  Ps.  77:2-9. 
Q.  28.     Can  a  true  believer  fall  into  absolute  despair? 
A.     No.     He  may  sink  into  deep  despondency,  such 
as  borders  on  despair,  but  not  into  utter  despair.     No 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  317 


one  who  has  true  Christian  faith  shall  ever  lose  it  en- 
tirely.   John  5:24;  Phil.  1:6;  I  Pet.  1:5. 

Q.  29.  May  not  a  true  Christisin  fall  into  mental 
derangement,  and  thus  into  despair? 

A.  Godly  men  may  become  insane,  and  may  seem 
to  have  lost  all  Christian  hope ;  yet  the  teaching  of  Scrip- 
ture in  regard  to  the  perseverance  of  the  saints  forbids 
the  belief  that  even  in  such  cases  the  germ  of  faith  and 
hope  has  died. 

Q.  30.  Do  Papists  admit  that  in  saving  faith  there 
is  involved  an  assurance,  or  a  trust,  on  the  part  of  the 
believer  that  he  shall  be  saved? 

A.  No.  They  deny  that  a  comfortable  assurance  of 
salvation  is  attainable  in  this  life. 

Q.  31.  Is  there  reason  to  suspect  that  the  Popish 
creed  in  this  particular,  as  in  many  others,  proceeds  from 
the  desire  to  hold  men  in  a  state  of  dependence  on  so- 
called  priests? 

A.  There  is  good  ground  for  such  suspicion.  If 
men  believed  that  by  trust  in  Christ  they  are  saved,  they 
w^ould  not  cower  before  the  mimic,  spurious  priests  of 
Rome. 

Q.  32.  Did  not  the  great  leaders  in  the  Reformation 
from  Popery  maintain  steadily  the  view  that  in  saving 
faith  there  is  an  appropriation  of  Christ  as  a  Saviour  and 
a  trust  in  Him  accordingly? 

A.  Their  writings  and  recorded  utterances,  to- 
gether with  the  charges  made  against  them  by  their  an- 
tagonists, render  this  certain.* 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Acts  13  48 ;  2 :33 ;  Rom.  8 132 ;  Eph.  1:12;  Heb.  11:6; 
Is.  50  :io ;  I  John  3  :i4 ;  2  Tim.  1:12;  i  Pet.  1 15. 

Note. 
It  is  beyond  reasonable  dispute  that  Luther,  Calvin, 
Knox,  and  the  other  great  leaders  in  the  movement  just- 

*See  Note  at  end  of  Question  LXXXVI. 


318  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

ly  styled  "The  Great  Reformation"  held  that  he  who  ex- 
ercises saving  faith  does  in  that  very  act  trust  in  Christ 
and  claim  Him  as  his  Saviour,  which  is  the  same  as  to 
affirm  that  in  saving  faith  expectation,  or  assurance,  of 
salvation  is  a  distinctive  element.  They  repudiated  utter- 
ly the  pale  and  unsubstantial  faith  which  Rome  would 
substitute  for  the  genuine,  living,  victorious  faith  of  the 
gospel.  In  few,  but  suggestive,  words,  the  National 
Covenant  of  Scotland,  framed  in  1581,  and  subsequently 
amplified  and  adapted  to  the  needs  of  the  times,  em- 
bodies the  true  Protestant  estimate  of  the  Popish  doc- 
trine of  faith  by  describing  it  as  "a  general  and  doubt- 
some  faith."  It  must  be  admitted,  however,  that  in  the 
course  of  time  a  modified  conception  of  the  nature  of 
faith  crept  in  among  the  Protestant  Churches,  a  concep- 
tion verging  toward  that  against  which  the  Reformers 
had  lifted  up  their  mighty  voices. 

Striking  evidence  of  this  declension  was  given  by 
the  Church  of  Scotland  in  the  early  part  of  the  i8th 
century,  when  a  distinguished  minister  of  said  Church 
procured  a  reprint  with  his  own  recommendation  of  a 
book  bearing  the  quaint  title,  "The  Marrow  of  Modern 
Divinity."  The  book  in  question  was  written  by  Edward 
Fisher,  an  Englishman,  and  appeared  in  1645,  while  the 
Westminster  Assembly  was  in  session.  The  author,  of 
whose  life  little  is  known,  sets  forth  with  striking  vigor, 
although  in  terms  not  invariably  guarded,  the  way  of 
salvation;  and,  in  doing  so,  strenuously  asserts  the  Re- 
formation doctrine  touching  the  assurance  involved  in 
saving  faith.  But  so  repugnant  were  this  and  several 
other  evangelical  doctrines  advocated  in  this  book  to  a 
dominant  and  domineering  party  in  the  Church  of  Scot- 
land that  in  1720  the  General  Assembly  strictly  forbade 
ministers  to  recommend  it,  and  enjoined  them  to  warn 
their  people  against  it.  This  action  drew  forth  a  vigor- 
ous remonstrance ;  but  the  Assembly  persisted  in  its 
course,  and  in  1722  it  censured  formally  the  remon- 
strants. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  319 

The  agitation  which  thus  arose  was  one  of  the  in- 
fluences which  led  to  the  first  disruption  of  the  Church 
of  Scotland,  the  Secession  of  1733.  The  expressions, 
once  frequently,  and  still  occasionally,  heard,  "Marrow- 
men"  and  "Marrow-doctrines,"  find  their  explanation  in 
this  episode  of  Scottish  church  history. 


QUESTION  LXXXVII. 
What  is  repentance  unto  life? 

ANSWER. 

Repentance  unto  life  is  a  saving  grace 
whereby  a  sinner,  out  of  a  true  sense  of  his  sin 
and  apprehension  of  the  mercy  of  God  in  Christ, 
doth,  with  g^ief  and  hatred  of  his  sin,  turn  from 
it  unto  God  with  full  purpose  of,  and  endeavor 
after,  new  obedience. 

Q.  1.  What  is  the  general  meaning  of  the  word 
*'repentance"  ? 

A.  A  change  of  mind,  or  a  change  of  view  and  feel- 
ing. 

Q.  2.     Is  there  a  repentance  unto  death? 

A.     Yes.    2  Cor.  7:10. 

Q.  3.     Give  an  instance  of  this  baleful  repentance. 

A.  Judas  repented  his  betrayal  of  Christ,  but  was 
goaded  by  remorse  to  suicide.     Matt.  27  ly^. 

Q.  4.  What  expression  is  often  used  to  distinguish 
this  sort  of  repentance? 

A.     The  phrase  "legal  repentance." 

•Q.  5.  Is  it  so  styled  because  it  is  in  accordance  with 
law? 

A.  No;  but  because  it  proceeds  from  a  sense  of 
the  law  as  armed  with  a  penalty  to  be  inflicted  on  trans- 
gressors. Legal  repentance  implies  no  love  of  the  law, 
and  no  sorrow  for  sin.  but  only  dread  of  the  punishment 
to  which  the  law-breaker  is  exposed. 


320  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  6.  What  expression  is  often  used  to  denote  gen- 
uine, as  distinguished  from  mere  legal,  repentance. 

A.  "Evangelical  repentance,"  indicative  of  the  fact 
that  the  repentance  meant  proceeds  particularly  from  a 
sense  of  God's  mercy  in  Christ  toward  offenders.  Zech. 
12:10. 

Q.  7.     Why  is  this  called  a  "grace"? 

A.  Because  it  is  freely  bestowed  by  God  in  His 
love.    Acts  5:31;  II  :i8. 

Q.  8.     Why  is  it  called  a  "saving  grace"? 

A.     a.  Not  because  it  merits  salvation; 

b.  Because  it  is  a  fruit  of  God's  unmerited  favor, 

and  a  part  of  our  salvation ; 

c.  Because  all  who  have  it  are  saved. 

Q.  9.  What  is  meant  by  the  expression,  "a  true 
sense  of  sin"? 

A.  A  feeling  of  the  intrinsic  odiousness  of  sin, 
particularly  as  done  against  One  Who  is  infinitely  worthy 
of  our  reverence,  love,  and  obedience.    Ps.  51 14. 

Q.  10.  Is  there  intertwined  with  this  a  sense  of  the 
evil  of  sin  as  hurtful  to  ourselves  and  others? 

A.  Yes.  We  are  required  by  the  law  of  God  to  love 
ourselves  and  our  fellowmen,  and,  therefore,  to  hate  that 
which  is  pernicious  to  men,  as  well  as  dishonoring  to 
God. 

Q.  II.  Whose  sin  does  the  true  penitent  particular- 
ly feel  to  be  hateful? 

A.     His  own  sin.     Ps.  38:18;  51:3. 

Q.  12.  What  is  the  second  source,  or  root,  of  true 
repentance? 

A.  A  perception  and  acceptance,  or,  more  briefly, 
"an  apprehension,"  of  the  mercy  of  God  in  Christ.  Zech. 
12:10. 

Q.  13.  What  is  meant  by  the  expression, "the  mercy 
of  God  in  Christ"? 

A.  God's  readiness  to  pardon  and  bless  sinners  of 
our  race  on  the  ground  of  the  obedience  and  suffering 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  321 

of  Christ,  whereby  justice  is  satisfied  and  the  law  mag- 
nified. 

Q.  14.  Is  faith  in  Christ  an  essential  ingredient  of 
true  repentance? 

A.  Yes.  Without  it  repentance  would  be  mere 
remorse,  as  in  the  case  of  Judas. 

Q.  15.  Does  faith  precede  repentance  in  the  order 
of  time? 

A.  No.  In  respect  to  time  they  are  coincident,  but 
logically,  or  in  the  order  of  thought,  faith  precedes  re- 
pentance, and  is  the  first  act  of  the  regenerated  soul. 

Q.  16.  Is  there  in  true  repentance  a  sense  not  only 
of  the  authority  of  God,  but  also  of  His  glorious  moral 
excellence  ? 

A.     Yes.    Job  42:5,  6;  Is.  6:5;  Ezra  9:15. 

Q.  17.  Is  not  hatred  of  our  sin,  viewed  as  the  abom- 
inable thing  which  God  hates,  the  most  characteristic 
feature  of  true  repentance? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  18.  Is  there  not  in  true  repentance  a  turning  to 
God,  as  well  as  a  turning  from  sin? 

A.     Yes.     Ps.  32:5,  6;  Hos.  14:1-3- 

Q.  19.  By  what  purpose  is  the  true  penitent  ani- 
mated? 

A.  The  purpose  to  render,  through  Divine  aid, 
obedience  to  God.     Ps.  51:14;  80:18;  119:37. 

Q.  20.     What  is  meant  by  "new  obedience"? 

A.     a.  Hearty,    and   not   mere   outward,    obedience. 
Ezek.  33:31;  Matt.  15:8; 
h.  Obedience  growing  out  of  love  to  God  and  a 
desire  to  glorify  Him.     i  Cor.  10:31 ;  John 

15:14; 

c.  Obedience  rendered  not  to  expiate  sin,  but  in 

gratitude  for  the  pardon  of  sin.  Rom. 
12:1; 

d.  Summarily,  it  is  obedience  from  a  new  prin- 

ciple, the  love  of  God;  directed  to  a  new 
end,  the  glory  of  God;  and  controlled  by 
a  new  rule,  the  revealed  will  of  God. 


322  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  21.  Is  confession  of  sin  implied  in  true  repent- 
ance? 

A.  Yes ;  true  repentance  is  a  sorrowful  acknowledg- 
ment in  thought,  at  least,  of  sin.  Ps.  51 :3  ;  19  :i2 ;  25  :i  i ; 
32:5;  Luke  18:13. 

Q.  22.     Is  it  a  duty  to  confess  our  sins  to  men? 

A.  Yes,  some  sins,  namely,  those  in  which  we  have 
done  wrong  to  any  one.     Matt.  5:23,  24;  Jas.  5:16. 

Q.  23.  Is  the  confession  which  Rome  inculcates  so 
strenuously  of  this  nature? 

A.  No.  Rome  teaches  that  all  mortal  sins  are  to  be 
confessed  to  a  fellow-creature,  who  is  styled  "a  priest," 
at  whose  hands,  also,  absolution  is  to  be  sought. 

Q.  24.  Do  Romanists  produce  any  Scripture  decla- 
ration in  support  of  their  dogma  that  priests  can  absolve 
from  sin? 

A.  Yes.  They  allege  that  Christ  invested  His 
apostles  with  this  prerogative  when,  after  His  resurrec- 
tion. He  breathed  on  them  and  said,  "Receive  ye  the 
Holy  Ghost ;  whose  sins  soever  ye  remit,  they  are  remit- 
ted unto  them ;  and  whosesoever  sins  ye  retain,  they  are 
retained."  It  is  claimed  that  Romish  bishops  succeed  the 
apostles  in  the  possession  of  this  authority,  and  that  from 
them  is  conveyed  in  ordination  to  ordinary  priests  the 
stupendous  prerogative  of  absolving  judicially  from  sin. 

Q.  25.     How  may  this  arrogant  claim  be  refuted? 

A.  a.  It  conflicts  with  God's  claim  to  be  the  only 
one  who  can  search  the  hearts  of  men.  i 
Sam.  16:7;  I  Chron.  28:9;  Jer.  17:10; 
Rev.  2:23; 

b.  Even  if  the  apostles  were  thus  distinguished, 

it  would  not  follow  that  their  successors 
in  office  would  be,  or  that  the  succession 
would  be  in  the  bishops  of  Rome ; 

c.  The  true  meaning  seems  to  be  that  on  the 

apostles  the  distinction  was  conferred  of 
declaring  authoritatively  the  way  of  sal- 
vation, and  the  law  as  to  reception  into, 
or  expulsion  from,  the  visible  Church. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  323 

d.  In  no  case  did  any  of  the  apostles  act  as  if 
to  him  it  pertained  to  forgive  sins,  unless 
in  the  sense  of  joining  with  the  ordinary- 
officers  of  the  church  in  releasing  from 
church  censure,  i  Cor.  5  :4,  5 ;  2  Cor.  2 : 
6-10.* 
Q.  26.  Is  true  repentance  in  its  restricted  sense  a 
prerequisite  of  pardon? 

A.  Yes,  of  fatherly  forgiveness,  but  not  of  judicial 
pardon.    Acts  16:31;  Ps.  32:5;  Ezek.  36:25,  31. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Zech.  12:10;  Ps.  51:3,  4;  Job  42:5,  6;  Ps.  32:5,  6; 
Hos.  14:1-3;  Ps.  80:18;  Matt.  15:8;  John  15:14;  Rom. 
12:1. 


Note. 

Perhaps  some  aid  in  the  interpretation  of  the  strik- 
ing utterance  of  Christ  recorded  in  John  20:23  may  be 
derived  from  the  instructions  given  to  the  priests  in  re- 
gard to  leprosy  by  Moses,  the  inspired  lawgiver.  In 
Lev.,  chapter  13th,  the  priests  are  told  in  what  circum- 
stances a  man  was  to  be  pronounced  clean  authoritative- 
ly, and  in  what  unclean ;  but,  according  to  the  exact 
rendering  of  the  original,  the  priests  are  directed  to  make 
a  man  clean  or  the  reverse  in  the  instances  described. 
See  Lev.  13:3,  6,  8,  11,  13,  15,  17,  20,  22,  23,  25,  27,  28, 

30.  34,  Z7,  44,  59;  147,  II- 

Now  in  consonance  with  this  precedent  may  not  our 
Lord  be  understood  to  say  to  His  disciples,  "I  send  you 
forth  to  teach  men  and  organize  them  as  my  followers. 
Those  who  have  marks  of  discipleship  according  to  your 
teaching  shall  be  pardoned.  Those  lacking  such  marks 
shall  be  condemned." 

*See  Note  at  end  of  Question  LXXXVII. 


324  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 


QUESTION  LXXXVIII. 

What  are  the  outward  means  whereby 
Christ  communicateth  to  us  the  benefits  of  re- 
demption? 

ANSWER. 

The  outward  and  ordinary  means  whereby 
Christ  communicateth  to  us  the  benefits  of  re- 
demption are  His  ordinances,  especially  the 
Word,  sacraments,  and  prayer;  all  which  are 
made  effectual  to  the  elect  for  salvation. 

Q.  I.  What  is  meant  by  the  phrase,  "means  of 
grace" ? 

A.  Methods  and  instrumentalities  used  by  God  in 
putting  men  into  actual  possession  and  enjoyment  of  the 
salvation  provided  for  them, 

Q.  2.     How  may  the  means  of  grace  be  classified? 

A.  They  may  be  arranged  under  two  heads,  namely, 
inward  means  and  outward  means. 

Q.  3.     What  are  the  inward  means  of  grace? 

A.  Faith  in  Christ  and  repentance  unto  life, 
especially  the  former.  Acts  2:38;  15:9;  16:31;  John  3: 
16;  Eph.  2:8;  I  John  5:4. 

Q.  4.     What  are  the  outward  means  of  grace? 

A.  Those  appliances,  or  expedients,  appointed  by 
God  for  the  production  and  promotion  of  holiness  in 
men,  or  for  the  conversion  of  sinners  and  their  growth 
in  grace. 

Q.  5.     Specify  the  chief  of  these. 

A.  Beside  "the  Word,  sacraments,  and  prayer," 
may  be  noted  the  Sabbath,  Church  fellowship  and  disci- 
pline, beneficence,  and  fasting. 

Q.  6.  Is  not  the  Word  the  outward  means  emphat- 
ically, inasmuch  as  by  it  are  made  known  to  us  the  other 
means  and  the  use  to  be  made  of  them? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  325 

A.  Yes.  The  Word  discovers  to  us  our  ruin  as  sin- 
ners and  the  way  of  recovery  by  Jesus  Christ.  2  Tim. 
3:15-17;  Ps.  19:7-11. 

Q.  7.  May  providential  events,  such  as  sickness, 
poverty,  and  persecution  operate  as  means  o£  grace? 

A.  Yes ;  but  only  when  accompanied  by  the 
"Word"  to  shed  light  upon  them.  They  may  be  reckon- 
ed as  subsidiary,  or  secondary,  means  of  grace.  Ps.  119: 
67,  71,  75;  Rom.  5:3;  2  Cor.  12:7-9;  Heb.  12:6-11. 

Q.  8.  Are  there  any  extraordinary  outward  means 
of  grace? 

A.  By  unusual  manifestations  God,  in  the  Old 
Testament  age  and  in  the  beginning  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment era,  made  extraordinary  communications  to  certain 
men  for  their  spiritual  guidance  and  comfort,  as,  for  in- 
stance, to  Noah,  to  Abraham,  to  Jacob,  to  Moses,  to  Paul 
and  some  others ;  but  the  age  of  such  miraculous  intima- 
tions seems  to  have  passed  by. 

Q.  9.  Is  literal  fasting  warrantably  reckoned  as  a 
means  of  grace  in  the  New  Testament  dispensation? 

A.  There  seems  tO'  be  sufficient  ground  for  thinking 
so. 

Q.  10.  Present  some  reasons  in  support  of  this 
view. 

A.  a.  Our  Lord  spoke  of  fasting  as  an  approved 
means  of  grace,  and  gave  directions  as  to 
the  spirit  in  which  it  should  be  employed. 
Matt.  6:16-18;  17:21. 
h.  Moreover  He  signified,  and  evidently  with 
approval,  that  after  His  death  His  disci- 
ples would  fast.  Luke  5  :35. 
c.  Accordingly,  after  His  death  and  ascension. 
His  followers  practiced  fasting  on  certain 
occasions  as  a  religious  observance.  Acts 
13:2,  3;  14:23;  I  Cor.  7:5. 

Q.    II.     How   may   sanctification    be   promoted   by 


fasting 


326  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.  a.  Through  this  expedient  the  mind  may  be 
kept  more  unclouded,  or  alert,  or  sensi- 
tive.   Luke  21  :34; 

b.  A  more  vivid  sense  of  our  weakness  and  de- 

pendence may  be  produced  by  fasting; 

c.  Fasting  seems  to  be  a  natural  effect  of  mental 

anxiety  and  distress.  Deut.  9:18;  Ezra 
10:6;  2  Sam.  12:16; 

d.  Abstinence  from  food  may  be  serviceable  in 

subduing  carnal  propensities.     Ezek.  16: 
49;  Matt.  24:38;  I  Cor.  9:27. 
Q.  12.     What   false   notions   as   to   fasting   prevail 
among  Romanists? 

A.     a.  That  to  fast  as  a  religious  duty  is  meritorious ; 

b.  That  abstinence  from  only  certain  kinds  of 

wholesome  food  is  required  in  fasting. 
Thus  meat  is  forbidden,  while  fish  is  al- 
lowed ; 

c.  That  fasting  is  to  be  practiced  periodically, 

or  at  stated  times,  whatever  our  circum- 
stances may  be.  Friday  of  every  week  is, 
for  instance,  to  be  kept  as  a  fast  day ;  but 
it  might  be  often  in  our  experience  a  day 
calling  for  thanksgiving  and  joy.  In 
spring,  the  lenten  fast  of  40  days  is  pre- 
scribed ;  whereas  our  condition  might 
call  for  holy  joy.  Fasting  is  to  be  regu- 
lated by  circumstances,  not  by  the  al- 
manac. In  the  Mosaic  economy  there 
was  an  annual  fast  on  the  tenth  day  of 
the  seventh  month ;  but  that  was  a  Divine 
appointment.  There  is  no  such  prescrip- 
tion for  New  Testament  times. 

Q.  13.     Is  beneficence  a  means  of  grace? 

A.     Yes.    2  Cor,  8:6,  7;  9:6-8;  Acts  20:35. 

Q.  14.  How  does  it  operate  for  spiritual  profit  to 
those  who  practice  it? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  327 

A.     a.  The  very  desire  to  benefit  others  is  itself  a 
blessing; 

b.  The   self-denial   which    may   be   requisite   in 

helping  others  tends  to  weaken  and 
eradicate  selfishness  in  the  helper; 

c.  The  benefactor  may  elicit  prayers  in  his  be- 

half from  those  whom  he  has  aided.  2 
Cor.  9:12-14. 

Q.  15.  Is  the  discipline  of  the  Church,  when  exer- 
cised aright,  intended  and  fitted  to  be  a  means  of  grace? 

A.  Yes.  It  is  meant  for  edification,  not  for  de- 
struction.    I  Cor.  5:4,  5;  2  Thess.  3:14,  15;  i  Tim.  5:20. 

Q.  16.  To  whom  are  the  means  of  grace  made 
effectual  for  salvation? 

A.  To  the  elect,  and  to  them  alone;  although 
others,  also,  may  in  some  respects  reap  advantage  from 
them.    Acts  13:48;  Rom.  8:28-32;  Eph.  4:11,  12. 

Q,  17.  To  whom  does  it  pertain  to  appoint  the 
means  of  grace? 

A.  To  Christ,  the  only  Mediator,  the  King  in  Zion, 
the  Head  of  the  Church.  Eph.  i  :22,  23  ;  4  :i5  ;  5  :23  ;  Matt. 
28 :20. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Acts  2:38;  I  John  5:4;  Ps.  119:71;  Heb.  12:6-11; 
the  Head  of  the  Church.  Eph.  i  :22,23  ;  4  :i5 ;  5  :23 ;  Matt. 
28 :20. 


QUESTION  LXXXIX. 

How  is  the  Word  made  effectual  to  salva- 
tion? 

ANSWER. 

The  Spirit  of  God  maketh  the  reading,  but 
especially  the  preaching,  of  the  Word  an  effect- 
ual means  of  convincing  and  converting  sinners, 
and  of  building  them  up  in  holiness  and  comfort 
through  faith  unto  salvation. 


328  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  I.     What  is  meant  by  "the  Word"? 

A.     The  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments. 

Q.  2.  Were  these  Scriptures  always  employed  from 
the  date  of  the  fall  in  the  conveyance  of  the  benefits  of 
redemption? 

A.  No.  These  writings  did  not  exist  from  the  be- 
ginning; but  the  central  truths  which  they  contained 
were  used  for  this  end  from  the  date  of  the  fall.  The 
sum  of  saving  truth  being  in  the  course  of  time  embodied 
in  the  Scriptures,  the  Spirit  uses  them  and  directs  us  to 
use  them  for  our  guidance  and  comfort.     John  5:39;  2 

Tim.  3:15-17. 

Q.  3.     What  is  the  great  design  of  the  Scriptures? 

A.  To  give  to  men  infallible  instruction  in  regard 
to  God,  themselves,  and  the  way  of  salvation. 

Q.  4.  In  what  sense  may  it  be  said  that  the  Scrip- 
tures are  able  to  make  wise  unto  salvation?    2  Tim.  3:15. 

A.  They  are  adapted  as  a  means  to  this  end,  just 
as  a  knife,  or  a  sword,  is  adapted  to  cut,  yet  never  does 
cut  unless  used  for  the  purpose  by  some  external  power. 

Q.  5.  By  whom  is  the  truth  contained  in  the 
"Word"  rendered  effectual  to  salvation? 

A.  By  the  Holy  Spirit.  John  3:5;  14:26;  16:14;  i 
Cor.  2:4,  12,  14. 

Q.  6.  What  are  the  general  stages  in  the  process  of 
application? 

A.     Conviction,  conversion,  and  edification. 

Q.  7.     In  what  respects  are  believers  edified? 

A.  In  respect  to  character  and  in  respect  to  com- 
fort, or  in  holiness  and  happiness.     Rom.  5:1-5;  15:4-13. 

Q.  8.  What  grace  does  the  Spirit  particularly  im- 
part and  foster  for  the  purpose  of  edification? 

A.  Pre-eminently  the  grace  of  faith.  Acts  15:9;  2 
Cor.  5:7;  Gal,  2:20;  Heb.  11:6,  39;  i  John  5:4. 

Q.  g.  On  what  grounds  may  it  be  said  that  the 
preaching  of  the  Word  is  more  effective  than  the  reading 
of  it  for  the  conversion  of  sinners  and  the  edification  of 
the  converted? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  329 

A.     a.  Our    Lord    Himself    in    His    direct    ministry 
used  the  tongue,  not  the  pen,  for  present- 
ing the  truth  to  men. 
h.  He  enjoined  expressly  the  preaching  of  the 
gospel,  or  the  proclamation  of  it  after  the 
manner  of  a  public  herald,  who  sounds 
out  the  news  with  his  lips. 
c.  In  the  Scripture  record,  the  most  signal  suc- 
cesses of  the  gospel  are  associated  with 
the  vocal  presentation  of  it.     Acts  2 :4i ; 
8:28-37;  10:44;  11:19-21;  Rom.  10:14,  17. 
Q.  10.     Yet  is  the  reading  of  the  Word  and  of  ex- 
positions of  the  same  of  incalculable  utility? 

A.     Yes.     The  Word  was  written  to  be  read.    John 
5:39;  20:31;  Rev.  1:3;  I  Thess.  5:27. 

Q.  II.     Is  it  the  right  and  duty  of  all  men  who  have 
the  Scriptures  to  read  them? 

A.     Yes.     Deut.  6:6-9;  17:19;  John  5:39;  Acts  17: 
II ;  Rev.  1 :3. 

Q.  12.     Is  this  right  disputed  by  any? 
A.     Yes;  by  Roman  Catholics,  who  allege  that  at 
least  the  unlearned  are  in  great  danger  of  misinterpret- 
ing the  sacred  writings  and  so  sustaining  serious  injury. 
Q.  13.     To  guard  against  such  evil  results,  what  pre- 
cautions are  used? 

A.     a.  It  is  urged  that,  if  read  at  all,  the  Scriptures 
are  to  be  read  in  connection  with  notes 
from  Papal  sources,  fitted  to  guard  against 
misunderstandings. 
h.  It  is  urged  that  application  be  made  to  the 
bishop  of  the  diocese  in  which  the  appli- 
cant resides  for  license  to  read  the  Bible. 
Q.  14.     Is  it  a  slander  to  say  that  Rome  is  at  least 
not  very  zealous  for  the  general  diffusion  and  reading  of 
the  Bible? 

A.     No.    It  is  too  palpably  true. 
Q.  15.     Mention  some  facts  which  sustain  this  grave 
charge. 


330  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.  a.  There  exists,  as  far  as  is  known  to  us,  no 
Roman  Catholic  Bible  Society  actively  en- 
gaged in  printing  and  diffusing  the  Scrip- 
tures. Just  as  this  is  written  word  comes 
that  the  Vatican  authorities  have  sanc- 
tioned the  printing  in  Italian  of  150,000 
copies  of  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts,  of 
course  duly  guarded  with  notes,  for  sale 
among  the  people.  They  seem  to  have 
been  shamed  into  this  concession. 

b.  At  this  very  time  there  come  to  us  reports 

most  certainly  true  of  the  burning  of 
Bibles  in  Brazil,  the  Fiji  Islands,  and 
other  places  by  Roman  Catholics. 

c.  Before  1870  it  was  impossible  to  find  in  Rome 

a  copy  of  the  Bible  for  sale,  unless  in  a 
form  so  expensive  as  to  defy  purchase  by 
the  poorer  people.  The  Pope  was  then 
the  civil  ruler  there. 

d.  Popish  missionaries  have  never  translated  the 

Scriptures  into  the  language  of  any 
heathen  tribe.  To  do  that  service  to  the 
heathen  has  been  the  task  and  glory  of 
Protestant  missionaries. 

e.  Again  and  again  the  Popes  have  denounced 

and  cursed  the  Bible  Societies  of  Europe 
and  America. 
Q.  16.     Papists  quote  2  Pet.  3:16  as  a  warrant  for 
their  attitude  on  this  question.     Does  that  text  afford 
such  warrant? 
A.     No;  for, 

a.  It  is  implied  that  the  true  tendency  of  the 

sacred  writings  is  to  benefit,  seeing  that 
it  is  only  when  they  are  wrested,  or  per- 
verted, that  evil  may  come  from  them; 

b.  The  Apostle  does  not  issue  a  warning  against 

the  reading  of  the  Scriptures,  but  only 
against  an  improper  reading  of  them ; 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  331 

c.  If  all  who  may  misunderstand  some  parts  of 

of  the  Bible  must  be  debarred  from  read- 
ing- it,  no  one  would  be  authorized  to  read 
it;  for  none  can  understand  it  fully; 

d.  The  best  protection  against  a  perversion  of 

the  Scriptures  is  not  a  locking  of  them 
up,  but  a  thorough,  humble,  and  prayer- 
ful reading  of  them.  "Ye  do  err,"  said 
Christ  to  the  Sadducees,  "not  know- 
ing the  Scriptures." 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Deut.  6:6-9;  John  5:39;  Acts  17:11;  i  Cor.  2:4,  14; 
Rev.  1:3;  Rom.  10:14,  17. 


QUESTION  XC. 

How  is  the  Word  to  be  read  and  heard  that 
it  may  become  efTectual  to  salvation? 

ANSWER. 

That  the  Word  may  become  effectual  to  sal- 
vation we  must  attend  thereunto  with  diligence, 
preparation,  and  prayer,  receive  it  with  faith  and 
love,  lay  it  up  in  our  hearts,  and  practice  it  in 
our  lives. 

Q.  I.     Does  God  link  duty  with  privilege? 

A.     Yes.     Luke  12:48. 

Q.  2.  Does  the  possession  of  the  Bible  entail  re- 
sponsibility? 

A.     Yes.     Luke  16:29;  8:18. 

Q.  3.  What  are  the  duties  which  directly  attach  to 
the  privilege  of  having  the  Word  of  God? 

A.  Summarily,  these  are  attending  to  it,  receiving 
it  suitably,  treasuring  it  in  memory,  and  following  its 
counsels. 

Q.  4.     How  should  we  attend  to  the  Word? 


332  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.     a.  Earnestly,  as  sensible  of  its  importance.  John 
5:39;  Ps.  119:14. 

b.  Deliberately,  being  prepared  to  use  all  means 

accessible  for  the  discovery  of  its  mean- 
ing; 

c.  Prayerfully,  conscious  of  our  need  of  spiritual 

enlightenment  and  appreciativeness.    Ps. 

119:18. 
Q.  5.     How  is  the  Word  to  be  received? 
A.     a.  With  faith,  that  is,  a  hearty  perception  and 

acceptance  of   it  as   God's   Word   to   us. 

Heb.  3  :i4,  18 ;  4:1;  i  Pet.  1:8;  2 :/ ; 
b.  With  love,  that  is,  a  hearty  appreciation  of 

God's  mercy  to  men,  and  to  ourselves  in 

particular,  together  with  an  approval  of 

all  His  ways.     Ps.  119:97,  103. 

Q.  6.     When  thus  received,  how  is  the  Word  to  be 
treated? 

A.  a.  It  is  to  be  stored  in  the  memory,  ready  for 
use,  and  enthroned  in  the  heart.  Ps.  119: 
11; 
b.  Our  lives  are  to  be  framed  in  accordance 
with  it.  Thus  holiness  of  heart  and  pure 
outward  morality  will  be  mutually  cor- 
roborative. Ps.  119:2,  3,  100,  loi ;  Jas. 
I  -.25. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Luke  8:18;  12:48;  16:29;  Ps.  119:11,  14,  18,  97,  100, 
101 ;  Heb.  3:  14,  18. 


QUESTION  XCI. 

How  do  the  sacraments  become   effectual 
means  of  salvation? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  333 

ANSWER. 

The  sacraments  become  effectual  means  of 
salvation  not  from  any  virtue  in  them  or  in  him 
that  doth  administer  them,  but  only  by  the 
blessing  of  Christ  and  the  working  of  His  Spirit 
in  them  that  by  faith  receive  them. 

Q.  I.  In  order  to  be  beneficial  as  a  means  of  grace, 
how  is  a  sacrament  to  be  received? 

A.  In  connection  with  the  saving  operation  of  the 
Spirit. 

Q.  2.  So  far  as  adults  are  concerned,  is  actual  faith 
in  Christ  essential  to  the  right  reception  and  salutary 
effect  of  a  sacrament? 

A.     Yes.    Acts  2:38;  8:12;  i  Cor.  11:28,  29. 

Q.  3.  Do  the  sacraments  conduce  to  salvation  in 
the  same  sense  as  does  the  Word? 

A.  No.  a.  The  Word  is  fitted  as  a  means  to  con- 
vert, as  well  as  to  confirm;  whereas  the 
sacraments  are   confirmatory  ordinances; 

b.  The  Word  is  to  be  administered  to  all;  the 

sacraments  only  to  seeming  disciples, 
Matt,  28:19,  20,  and,  in  the  case  of  bap- 
tism, to  their  children.     Acts  2:38,  39; 

c.  The   sacraments,    in   order   to   have   efficacy, 

must    be    accompanied    by    the    Word; 
whereas    the    Word    without    the    sacra- 
ments may  avail  to  salvation. 
Q.   4.     To  what  doctrines   of  Romanism  does  the 
answer  given  in  the  Catechism  stand  opposed? 

A.  To  the  "opus  operatum"  doctrine,  and  to  the 
doctrine  of  "intention." 

Q.  5.     What  is  the  "opus  operatum"  doctrine? 
A.     It  is  that  the  due  administration  of  a  sacrament 
is  invariably  attended  with  the  blessing  signified,  if  there 
is  no  positive  obstruction  on  the  part  of  the  receiver. 

Q.  6.  What  do  the  words,  "opus  operatum,"  liter- 
ally mean? 


334  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.  They  mean  "work  performed,"  but  are  used  in 
theology  to  denote  the  doctrine  that  the  blessing  meant 
by  a  sacrament  always  accompanies  the  administration 
of  it,  if  not  obstructed  positively  by  the  receiver. 

Q.  7.  Does  not  the  view  indicated  by  these  words 
imply  that  the  sacraments  act  after  the  manner  of  a 
charm,  or  as  medicine  acts  upon  the  body? 

A.  Yes.  Saving  faith  is  not  requisite,  according  to 
Romanists,  in  order  to  a  beneficial  reception  of  the  sac- 
raments.   They  are  of  themselves  efficacious. 

Q.  8.     What  is  the  Popish  doctrine  of  "intention"? 

A.  It  is  that  the  validity  of  a  sacrament  depends 
on  the  intention  of  him  who  administers  it. 

Q.  9.  Is  it  held  by  Papists  that  the  person  who 
ofHciates  must  intend  to  do  what  he  professes  to  do  in 
such  a  ca^e,  else  the  sacrament  is  void,  an  empty  form? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  ID.  Does  this  view  receive  sanction  from  the 
Scriptures? 

A.     No.  I  Cor.  3  :5-7. 

Q.  II.  On  the  other  hand,  may  not  a  sacrament  be 
inefficacious,  however  good  the  intention  of  the  adminis- 
trator? 

A.     Yes.    Acts  8:13,  20-23. 

Q.  12.  Point  out  some  of  the  evils  involved  in  the 
Popish  doctrine  of  "intention," 

A.  a.  It  tends  to  fill  the  "priest,"  or  officiating- 
functionary,  with  pride,  and  to  make  the 
people  servile; 
b.  It  tends  to  the  discomfort  of  the  people;  in- 
asmuch as  they  can  never  be  sure  of  the 
intention  of  the  priest.  Especially  em- 
barrassing must  this  uncertainty  be  in  the 
observance  of  the  Eucharist,  when  the 
"adoration  of  the  host"  is  called  for.  Ow- 
ing to  lack  of  intention,  the  mysterious 
change  of  the  elements  into  the  body  and 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  335 

blood  of  Christ  may  not  have  occurred; 
and,  in  that  case,  the  material  symbols 
would  be  the  objects  of  worship. 
Q.  13.     Are  there  not  two  extremes  to  be  avoided 
in  respect  to  the  sacraments? 

A.     Yes.     We   should  guard   against  undervaluing 
and  overestimating  them. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Acts  2:38,  39;  I  Cor.  11:28,  29;  I  Cor.  3:5-7 


QUESTION  XCII. 
What  is  a  sacrament? 

ANSWER. 


A  sacrament  is  a  holy  ordinance  instituted 
by  Christ  wherein,  by  sensible  signs,  Christ  and 
the  benefits  of  the  new  covenant  are  represent- 
ed, sealed,  and  applied  to  believers. 

Q.  I.     What  is  the  origin  of  the  word  "sacrament"? 

A.     It  is  the  English  form  of  the  Latin  word  "sac- 
ramentum." 

Q.  2.     Trace  the  successive  meanings  assumed  by 
this  latter  word. 

A.  a.  Its  earliest  use  was  to  denote  a  sum  of  money 
which  parties  in  a  lawsuit  were  required 
at  the  outset  of  the  trial  to  deposit  with 
the  court,  the  understanding  being  that 
the  loser  in  the  suit  should  forefeit  his 
deposit.  This  forfeited  money  seems  to 
have  been  commonly  applied  to  some  re- 
ligious purpose,  and  so  to  have  acquired 
a  character  of  sacredness ; 
h.  Afterwards  the  word  came  to  mean  the 
pledge  of  obedience  and  fidelity  given  to 
his  superiors  by  a  soldier  at  his  enlist- 
ment; 


336  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

c.  Finally,  in  the  Early  Church  the  word  was 
employed  to  signify  a  sign,  or  symbol,  of 
some  spiritual  truth. 
Q.  3.     What  observances  are  by  almost  all  who  pro- 
fess to  be  Christians  accounted  sacraments? 

A.  Baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper.  The  Friends, 
popularly  called  Quakers,  deny  that  these  observances 
were  meant  to  be  perpetuated  in  the  Church ;  but  in  this 
view  they  stand  alone,  or  nearly  so. 

Q.  4.  What  are  the  essential  features  of  a  sacra- 
ment? 

A,     Those    traceable    in    Baptism    and    the    Lord's 
Supper,  and  common  to  both. 
Q.  5,     Specify  these. 

A.     a.  Direct    Divine    appointment.      Matt.    28:19; 
Luke  22:19; 

b.  Material   substances,   commonly   called   "ele- 

ments"; 

c.  Substances  not  merely  material,  but  also  cog- 

nizable by  more  than  one  of  our  bodily 
senses.  In  the  preaching  of  the  gospel 
only  one  of  our  senses,  that  of  hearing,  is 
addressed.  In  the  Lord's  Supper,  and  even 
in  Baptism,  several  of  our  senses  are  ad- 
dressed; 

d.  Reference  to  the  blessings  of  salvation ; 

e.  Pledging,  or  sealing,  to  right  observers  the 

blessings  symbolized.     Rom.  4:11. 

Q.  6.  Wherein,  especially,  does  a  sacrament  differ 
from  a  sacrifice? 

A.  In  a  sacrifice  man  offers  something  to  God.  In 
a  sacrament  God  offers  something  to  man. 

Q.  7.  Are  the  signs  in  a  sacrament  chosen  because 
of  their  natural  fitness  to  represent  certain  spiritual 
truths  ? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  8.  What  more  than  this  natural  fitness  is  es- 
sential in  a  sacrament? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  337 

A.  Divine  appointment.  Deut.  12:32.  Paul,  writ- 
ing to  the  Corinthians,  is  careful  to  inform  them  that  the 
instructions  he  gave  them  touching  the  Lord's  Supper 
he  had  received  from  Christ  Himself,     i  Cor,  11:23. 

Q.  9.  To  which  person  of  the  Godhead  does  the 
appointment  of  any  form  of  worship  officially  belong? 

A.  To  the  Son,  Who  is  the  Mediator  and  the  Head 
of  the  Church.  Matt.  28:19,  20;  Eph.  1:22;  4:11,  12;  5: 
23  ;  I  Pet.  5  :4. 

Q.  10.  Why  is  a  sacrament  called  a  "holy"  ordi- 
nance? 

A.  a.  To  distinguish  it  from  ordinances  of  a  civil 
and  secular  sort,  such  as  matrimony  and 
magistracy ; 

b.  To   indicate   that   it  directly  subserves   holy 

ends; 

c.  To  teach  that  it  belongs  to  a  people  profess- 

edly separated  to  God,  the  visible  Church 
of  Christ. 
Q.  II.     What  ends  do  sacraments  serve  to  believers? 
A.     a.  They  represent,  or  vividly  suggest,  the  bene- 
fits of  redemption; 
h.  They  serve  as  seals,  or  pledges,  of  salvation. 

Rom,  4:11 ; 
c.  They  help  in  conveying  to  the  receiver  the 
blessings  which  they  denote.     This  they 
do  inasmuch  as  they  form  a  lively  em- 
bodiment   of   gospel    truth    addressed    to 
nearly  all  our  bodily  senses. 
Q.  12.     What  is  meant  by  the  phrase,  "new  cove- 
nant," which  occurs  in  the  Catechism? 

A,  The  arrangement  called  by  way  of  eminence 
"the  covenant  of  grace,"  which  was  made  from  eternity 
by  the  Trinity  with  a  view  to  the  salvation  of  fallen 
men. 

Q.  13.     Why  is  this  called  "the  new  covenant"? 
A.     In  contrast  with  the  covenant  of  works  made 
with  Adam,  the  breach  of  which  the  new  covenant  pre- 
supposes and  is  meant  to  remedy  in  behalf  of  the  elect. 


338  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  14.  In  point  of  time,  did  not  the  covenant  of 
grace  precede  the  covenant  of  works? 

A.  Yes.  The  former  was  made  before  the  world 
began,  while  the  latter,  though  purposed  from  eternity, 
was  actually  made  after  the  creation  of  man.  Eph.  i  4; 
Titus  1:2;  Gen.  2:16,  17. 

Q.  15.  May  not  the  covenant  of  grace  be  called, 
moreover,  "new"  because  it  was  not  revealed  to  man  till 
after  his  breach  of  the  covenant  of  works? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  16.  In  what  sense  may  a  sacrament  be  said  to 
seal  the  blessings  of  the  new  covenant? 

A.  In  this,  that  a  sacrament  is  a  substantial  pledge, 
to  him  who  receives  it  in  faith,  that  the  blessings  denot- 
ed by  it  are  his  in  title,  if  not  in  actual  enjoyment. 

Q.  17.  If  the  sacraments  were  merely  signs,  and  not 
also  seals,  of  gospel  blessings,  might  they  not  be  ad- 
ministered to  imbelievers  and  believers  alike,  just  as  is 
the  gospel? 

A.     Yes. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Matt.  28:19;  Luke  22:19;  Rom.  4:11;  i  Cor.  11:23; 
Eph.  4:11,  12;  I  Pet.  5:4;  Titus  1:2. 


QUESTION  XCIII. 

Which  are  the  sacraments  of  the  New  Tes- 
tament? 

ANSWER. 

The  sacraments  of  the  New  Testament  are 
Baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper. 

Q.  I.  What  is  meant  by  the  phrase,  "New  Testa- 
ment"? 

A.  Not  the  writings  commonly  so  called;  but  the 
dispensation,  still  subsisting,  which  began  at  the  resur- 
rection of  Christ. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  339 

Q.  2.  What  does  the  word  "dispensation,"  thus 
used,  denote? 

A.  A  method  used  by  God  to  exhibit  and  convey 
the  blessings  of  salvation  to  men. 

Q.  3.     Was  there  an  Old  Testament  dispensation? 

A.     Yes.    Ex.  24:8;  Heb.  9:20;  2  Cor.  3  114. 

Q.  4.  When  did  this  dispensation  begin,  and  when 
did  it  end? 

A.  It  began  immediately  after  the  fall,  when  de- 
liverance through  the  seed  of  the  woman  was  announc- 
ed; and  it  ended  at  the  resurrection  of  Christ  from  the 
dead.    Rom.  4:25;  1:4;  i  Pet.  1:3. 

Q.  5.  Were  there  any  sacraments  appointed  for  the 
use  of  the  Church  in  Old  Testament  times? 

A.  In  a  loose  way,  the  term  "sacrament"  has  been 
applied  to  the  ark  of  Noah,  to  the  rainbow,  to  the  manna 
furnished  for  the  support  of  the  Israelites  in  the  wilder- 
ness ;  but  in  a  stricter  sense  it  is  limited  to  Circumcision 
and  the  Passover. 

Q.  6.  By  what  right  does  Circumcision  rank  as  a 
sacrament  ? 

A.     a.  It  was  a  "sensible"  sign,  that  is,  one  percep- 
tible by  the  senses; 
h.  It  was   definitely  prescribed  by  God.     Gen. 
17:10-13;  Ex.  12:48; 

c.  It  was  limited  to  those  who,  either  by  natural 

descent,  or  by  profession,  were  embraced 
in  the  covenant  made  with  Abraham,  a 
covenant  of  profound  spiritual  import; 

d.  Its  central  meaning  was  evangelical.     Ro^m. 

2:28,  29;  4:11,  12;  Col.  2:11. 
Q.  7.     How  does  it  appear  that  the  Passover  was  a 
sacrament? 

A.     a.  It  was  divinely  appointed.     Ex.  12:24-27; 
h.  It  embodied  an  appeal  to  the  bodily  senses; 
c.  It  was   associated  originally  with  a  deliver- 
ance  which   vividly   symbolized   spiritual 
redemption ; 


340  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

d.  Direction  was  given  for  its  yearly  observance 

in  commemoration  of  this  great  deliver- 
ance; 

e.  It  was  limited  to  those  who  were  enrolled  as 

belonging  to  the  visible  Church  of  God. 
Ex.  12:43,  44,  48;  I  Cor.  5:7. 

Q.  8.  What  distinction  do  Romanists  make  between 
the  sacraments  of  the  Old  Testament  age  and  those  of 
the  New? 

A.  They  teach  that  the  sacraments  of  the  Old 
Testament  merely  prefigured  the  grace  which  should 
come  through  the  atonement  made  by  Christ;  whereas 
the  sacraments  of  the  New  Testament  actually  impart 
this  grace. 

Q.  9.  Do  professing  Christians  in  general  regard 
Baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper  as  permanent  sacraments 
of  the  New  Testament  dispensation? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  10.  Is  there  any  body  of  professing  Christians 
opposed  to  this  view? 

A.     Yes.    The  Friends,  or  Quakers,  are  opposed. 

Q.  II.     How  do  they  view  the  matter? 

A.  "The  baptism  now  required,"  say  they,  "is  the 
baptism  of  the  Spirit;  and  every  meal  should  be  a 
Eucharist." 

Q.  12.  Give  proof  that  baptism  with  water  was 
meant  by  Christ  to  be  an  abiding  observance. 

A.  a.  The  charge  to  baptize  in  (or  into)  the  name 
of  the  Trinity  goes  along  with  the  charge 
to  make  disciples.     Matt.  28:19,  20; 

b.  It  is  certain  that  by  the  apostles  and  their 

helpers,  in  carrying  out  this  great  commis- 
sion, converts  to  the  faith  were  baptized 
with  water.  Acts  2:38,  41;  8:12,  13,  36, 
38;  10:47,  48;  I  Cor.  1:13-17; 

c.  The  prevalence  of  this  practice  is  traceable  in 

the  Church  from  the  apostolic  age  on- 
ward. This  fact  is  a  strong  confirmation 
of  the  position  we  hold? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  341 

Q.  13.  Prove  that  the  Lord's  Supper  is  still  to  be 
observed. 

A.  a.  Our  Lord  enjoined  the  observance  of  the 
Supper  upon  His  followers,  saying,  "This 
do  in  remembrance  of  Me,"  i  Cor.  11: 
24; 

b.  His  command  was  conveyed  by  His  apostles 

to  those  who  came  under  their  control. 
Acts  20 :7,  11;  I  Cor.  1 1 :23-28 ; 

c.  In  I   Cor.  1 1  :26  it  is  clearly  suggested  that 

this  ordinance  should  be  in  force  till  the 
coming  of  Christ; 

d.  The  practice  of  the  Early  Church  indicates 

that    the    friends   of    Christ   then    under- 
stood His  will  in  this  matter  as  we  do. 
Q.  14.     Is  footwashing,  in  imitation  of  our  Lord's 
washing  His  disciples'  feet,  to  be  regarded  as  a  sacra- 
ment? 

A.  No;  although  Tunkers  (or  Dunkers)  hold  that  it 
is  of  the  nature  of  a  sacrament,  adducing  as  proof  John 
13:14. 

Q.  15.  Show  cause  for  refusal  to  recognize  foot- 
washing  as  a  sacrament. 

A.  a.  Our  Lord  by  washing  the  feet  of  His  dis- 
ciples meant,  as  He  said,  to  set  them  an 
example  of  humility  and  mutual  consid- 
eration.    John  13:13-16; 

b.  As    customs    expressive    of    good-will     and 

courtesy  vary  in  different  countries  and 
ages,  so  shaking  of  hands,  or  some  other 
method  of  expressing  cordial  regard,  may 
be  a  lawful  substitute  for  footwashing; 

c.  No  hint  is  given  in  the  New  Testament  that 

footwashing,    as    a    religious    ceremony, 
was  practiced  in  the  apostolic  Church. 
Q.  16.     According  to  Romish  teaching,  how  many 
sacraments  are  there  in  the  New  Testament  Church? 


342  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.  Seven  :  namely,  baptism,  confirmation,  eucharist, 
penance,  extreme  unction,  order,  and  matrimony. 

Q.  17.  How  many  of  these  are  entitled  to  recogni- 
tion as  sacraments? 

A.  Only  two,  Baptism  and  the  Eucharist,  or  Lord's 
Supper.* 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Ex.  12:48;  Rom.  1:4;  4:11,  12,  25;  I  Cor.  5:7;  Col. 
2:11;  I  Pet.  1:3;  John  13:14-16. 


Note. 

By  Roman  Catholics  the  divinely  appointed  sacra- 
ments, Baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper,  have  been  gross- 
ly tampered  with  and  corrupted.  In  the  questions  and 
answers  on  these  two  topics  attention  will  be  directed 
to  Rome's  daring  distortion  of  sacred  things. 

As  Protestants  in  the  present  day  are  so  ignorant  of 
the  Romish  system,  and  consequently  so  little  qualified, 
or  even  inclined,  to  do  battle  with  it,  nay  are  so  apt  to  be 
ensnared  by  it,  I  feel  impelled  to  offer  in  a  note  a  brief 
account,  with  occasional  strictures,  of  the  five  superadd- 
ed sacraments  proposed  by  Rome.  Peter  Dens,  whose 
elaborate  system  of  Theology  was  for  a  long  time,  and, 
perhaps,  is  still,  used  as  a  text  book  in  Maynooth  and 
other  Roman  Catholic  institutions  for  the  training  of 
"priests,"  will  be  taken  as  our  guide  in  stating  the  dog- 
mas of  Rome  in  the  matter  now  in  hand. 

Confirmation. 

Confirmation  is  defined  by  Dens  to  be  a  sacrament 
by  which  the  Holy  Spirit  is  communicated  to  the  baptiz- 
ed, to  enable  them  to  profess  the  faith  constantly  and 
intrepidly.  The  matter  of  this  sacrament  is  said  to  be 
chrism  (or  ointment),  consisting  of  oil  and  balsam  bless- 
ed by  a  bishop.     The  oil  denotes  brightness,  or  purity, 

*See  Note  at  end  of  Question  XCIII. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  343 

of  conscience;  while  the  balsam  signifies  the  odor  of  a 
good  reputation.    The  forehead  is  the  part  anointed. 

The  "form,"  or  most  distinctive  feature,  of  this  cere- 
mony is  the  utterance  by  the  officiating  functionary,  a 
bishop  unless  in  extraordinary  cases,  of  these  words,  "I 
sign  thee  with  the  sign  of  the  cross  and  confirm  thee 
with  the  chrism  of  salvation,  in  the  name  of  the  Father, 
and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit." 

The  arguments  employed  to  prove  confirmation  to  be 
a  sacrament  are  utterly  puerile.  Appeal  is  made  to  the 
act  of  Christ  in  laying  His  hands  on  certain  little  chil- 
dren (Matt.  19:15),  and  to  the  laying  on  of  hands  by 
apostles  (Acts  8:17;  19:6),  together  with  the  declaration 
in  Acts  14 :22,  23  that  Paul  and  Barnabas,  returning  from 
their  missionary  journey  in  Asia  Minor,  confirmed  the 
souls  of  the  disciples  whom  they  had  gained. 

What  token  of  the  institution  of  a  sacrament,  or  of 
a  standing  ceremony,  is  there  in  such  facts?  The  con- 
firmation performed  by  Paul  and  Barnabas  was  effected 
by  indoctrination  and  exhortation,  not  by  manipulation. 

Penance. 

Papists  teach  that  penance  is  a  sacrament  instituted 
by  Christ  for  the  remission  of  sin  committed  after  Bap- 
tism. It  consists  of  contrition,  confession,  and  satisfac- 
tion. These  are  styled  the  "material"  parts  of  penance, 
although  it  is  difficult  to  perceive  why.  The  confession 
must  be  made  to  a  priest  duly  authorized  to  hear  confes- 
sion. The  formal  item  of  the  ceremony,  its  distinguish- 
ing feature,  is  absolution,  which  is  thus  expressed  by  the 
priest,  "Ego  te  absolvo  a  peccatis  tuis  in  nomine  Patris, 
et  Filii,  et  Spiritus  Sancti" ;  that  is,  "I  absolve  thee  from 
thy  sins  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of 
the  Holy  Spirit."  Dens  explains  that  the  absolution  is 
judicial,  and  not  merely  declarative,  or  conditional. 

It  may  suffice  for  refutation  of  this  daring  dogma 
to  say  that  penance  lacks  the  material,  "sensible"  sign 
essential  to  a  sacrament ;  that  Christ,  and  only  He,  makes 


344  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

satisfaction  to  God  for  our  sins ;  and  that  to  pardon  sin 
as  done  against  God  belongs  to  Him  alone. 
Extreme  Unction. 

Extreme  unction  is  a  sacrament,  according  to  Dens, 
in  which  a  sick  person  is  anointed  by  a  priest  with  oil 
consecrated  by  a  bishop,  a  prescribed  form  of  words  being 
uttered  at  the  same  time,  the  object  being  to  afford  com- 
fort to  the  soul  and  body  of  the  receiver.  The  parts  to 
be  anointed  are  the  hands,  feet,  lips,  ears,  eyes,  and  loins. 
While  engaged  in  this  operation,  the  priest  is  to  say, 
"By  this  sacrament  and  His  most  holy  mercy  may  God 
grant  thee  pardon  of  whatever  sin  thou  hast  done 
through  hands,  feet,  lips,"  etc. 

This  ceremony  is  not  performed  unless  in  a  case  of 
apprehended  and  imminent  death ;  but  it  may  be  repeat- 
ed, should  the  sick  person  recover  and  be  seized  with 
some  other  seemingly  fatal  malady,  or  in  any  way  ap- 
pear on  the  verge  of  death. 

The  authority  adduced  in  favor  of  this  observance 
is  very  vague,  being  merely  the  fact  that  the  apostles, 
when  sent  out  by  Christ  during  His  ministry,  "anointed 
many  that  were  sick  and  healed  them"  (Mark  6:13),  and 
the  direction  given  in  Jas.  5  :i4. 

In  refutation  of  the  Romish  plea  in  this  case,  it  may 
suffice  to  say  that  extreme  unction  lacks  the  character  of 
universality  which  belongs  to  the  acknowledged  sacra- 
ments, Baptism  and  the  Eucharist,  being  designed  for 
all  Christians,  and  not  only  for  such  as  are  deemed 
mortally  sick;  that  the  anointing  done  by  the  apostles 
during  the  public  ministry  of  Christ  preceded  the  New 
Testament  dispensation ;  and  that  the  anointing  pre- 
scribed in  Jas.  5  :i4  was  meant  to  procure  bodily  re- 
covery, not  to  be  restricted  to  those  who  seemed  unlike- 
ly to  recover,  as  is  extreme  unction. 

Order  (or  Orders). 

According  to  Dens,  order  is  a  sacrament  of  the  New 
Testament  by  which  spiritual  authority  and  grace  are 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  345 

conferred  for  the  regular  and  becoming  performance  of 
ecclesiastical  functions.  The  Council  of  Trent  (1545- 
1563)  affirmed  that  there  are  several  ecclesiastical  orders, 
some  classed  as  major,  others  as  minor,  including  priest, 
deacon,  subdcacon,  acolyte,  exorcist,  reader,  sexton. 

Pressed  for  proof  that  investiture  with  office  is  of 
a  sacramental  nature,  Romish  theologians  point  to  the 
Saviour's  words,  "This  do  in  remembrance  of  Me,"  and 
maintain  that  thus  He  constituted  His  disciples  and  their 
successors  priests.  His  soul  and  body  being  the  sacrifice 
which  they  should  offer. 

The  "matter"  of  this  alleged  sacrament  is  in  some 
cases  the  imposition  of  hands,  in  others  the  presentation 
of  certain  articles,  as,  for  instance,  a  key,  supposed  to  be 
sj-mbolical  of  the  functions  and  authority  attaching  to 
the  office. 

It  must  be  obvious  to  any  impartial  mind  that  Rome 
is  hard  pressed  tO'  find  evidence  of  the  sacramental  char- 
acter of  an  appointment  to  office  in  the  Church.  It  is 
admitted  that  Christ,  the  Head,  has  instituted  certain 
permanent  offices  in  the  visible  Church.  These  are  the 
offices  of  elder  and  deacon ;  but  there  is  no  evidence  that 
investiture  with  these  offices  is  a  sacramental  act. 

There  has  been  no  prescription  of  any  material 
symbol  to  be  used  in  setting  men  apart  to  office,  and 
without  a  material  symbol  there  can  be  no  sacrament. 
The  laying  on  of  hands  is  a  suitable  gesture  to  indicate 
the  person  set  apart,  but  it  is  not  an  essential  part  of 
ordination. 

Matrimony. 

"Marriage,"  says  Dens,  "is  a  sacrament  of  the  new 
law  (or  Testament)  in  which  a  man  and  woman,  lawful- 
ly contracting,  are  united  conjugally  and  endowed  with 
Divine  grace." 

As  to  the  matter  of  this  so-called  sacrament,  no 
agreement  seems  to  exist.  Some  say  that  the  bodies  of 
the  contracting  parties  are  the  matter,  while  others  think 


346  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

that  the  words  by  which  they  are  united  constitute  the 
matter. 

In  lack  of  anything  more  plausible,  the  ring  used  by 
Romanists  in  the  marriage  ceremony  has  been  regarded 
by  some  as  the  material  symbol.  Against  this  concep- 
tion the  Puritans  of  England  protested  when  they  object- 
ed to  the  use  of  a  ring  in  the  marriage  ceremony.  Dens, 
however,  says  that  the  use  of  the  ring  is  not  essential  to 
the  service. 

There  is  no  good  ground  for  reckoning  marriage  as 
a  sacrament.  Marriage  is  meant  for  human  beings,  and 
not  for  saints  only.  Before  the  gospel  was  revealed  it 
was  in  force,  and  is,  therefore,  not  a  product  or  badge 
of  Christianity.  Papists  quote  Eph.  5  132  in  support  of 
their  notion  of  the  sacramental  character  of  marriage; 
but  what  Paul  there  calls  "a  great  mystery"  is  the  inti- 
mate relation  subsisting  between  Christ  and  the  Church, 
of  which  that  between  husband  and  wife  is  a  faint  illus- 
tration. In  the  Vulgate,  or  Latin  translation  of  the 
Scriptures,  which  is  recognized  by  the  Council  of  Trent 
as  authoritative,  "sacramentum"  is  used  as  the  equiva- 
lent of  the  word  "musterion"  of  the  Greek  original,  and 
hence  the  Roman  Catholic  view  seems  to  receive  counte- 
nance ;  but  it  is  certain  that  in  the  ancient  times  the  word 
"sacramentum"  was  used  with  much  latitude  of  meaning, 
as  has  already  been  shown. 

Rome  has  added  to  the  two  genuine  sacraments  five 
spurious  ones,  and,  as  we  shall  see  in  the  sequel,  corrupt- 
ed and  perverted  those  that  are  of  Divine  prescription. 


QUESTION  XCIV. 
What  is  Baptism? 

ANSWER. 


Baptism  is  a  sacrament  wherein  the  wash- 
ing with  water  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and 
of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  doth  signify 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  347 

and  seal  our  ingrafting  into  Christ  and  partak- 
ing of  the  benefits  of  the  covenant  of  grace  and 
our  engagement  to  be  the  Lord's. 

Q.  I.  What  three  things  are  essential  to  Baptism, 
considered  as  a  rite  of  the  New  Testament  Church? 

A.     a.  The  application  of  water  to  the  body,  or  con- 
tact of  the  body  with  water; 
h.  The  utterance  at  the  same  time  of  the  words, 
'T  baptize  thee  in  the  name  of  the  Father, 
and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost," 
by  one  authorized  to  officiate  as  a  min- 
ister of  the  gospel ; 
c.  The  doing  of  these  things  as  a  religious  ser- 
vice.    Thus   water,   words,   and  worship 
are  essential  to  Baptism. 
Q.  2.     Is  the  giving  of  a  name  to  the  one  who  is 
baptized  any  part  of  Baptism? 

A.  No;  but  an  announcement  of  the  name  of  one 
baptized  may  fitly  be  made  at  the  time  of  Baptism,  as 
seems  to  have  been  customary  among  the  Jews  in  con- 
nection with  Circumcision.     Luke  i  :59-63. 

Q.  3.  What  is  the  proper  design  of  Baptism? 
A.  a^  To  signify  the  efficacy  of  the  blood  of  Christ 
for  the  removal  of  both  the  guilt  and  the 
pollution  of  sin; 
h.  To  be  a  seal,  or  pledge,  of  the  blessings  of 
salvation  to  all  rightful  receivers  of  the 
ordinance.    Rom.  4:11; 

c.  To  be  a  token  of  trust  in  Christ  and  allegiance 

to  Him  on  the  part  of  the  baptized.     Gal. 
3:27;  Rom.  6:4; 

d.  To  form  a  visible  mark  of  distinction  between 

the  disciples  of  Christ  and  the  rest  of  the 
world.     Acts  2:41;  8:12. 
Q.  4.     What  is  meant  by  the  phrase  "ingrafting  into 
Christ"? 


348  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.  It  is  expressive  of  the  intimate,  vital  union 
which  exists  between  Christ  and  true  believers.  Rom. 
6:5;  11:17. 

Q.  5.  What  are  the  benefits  of  the  covenant  of 
grace? 

A.  Regeneration,  justification,  adoption,  sanctifica- 
tion,  or,  in  brief,  salvation,     i  Cor.  1 130. 

Q.  6.  What  is  the  doctrine  of  baptismal  regenera- 
tion? 

A.  It  is  that  the  act  of  baptism  is  always  attended 
by  the  regeneration,  or  spiritual  quickening,  of  the  per- 
son baptized.  Romanists  add  to  this  the  idea  that  all 
sin,  original  or  actual,  previously  chargeable  is  in  Bap- 
tism pardoned. 

Q.  7.  Who,  beside  Romanists,  favor  the  doctrine  of 
baptismal  regeneration? 

A.     Lutherans  and  many  Protestant  Episcopalians. 

Q.  8.     What  objections  lie  against  this  doctrine? 

A.  a.  Regeneration  originates  saving  faith ;  but 
many  who  are  baptized  live  and  die  un- 
believers ; 

b.  In  the  case  of  adults  faith  and,  therefore,  re- 

generation should  precede  Baptism.  Acts 
2:38;  8:12,  13; 

c.  Salvation   is  annexed  to  faith,  not  to   ritual 

baptism.    Acts  16:31; 

d.  The  Scriptures  warrant  the  belief  that  every 

one  regenerated  shall  be  saved.  Phil,  i : 
6;  John  10:28,  29;  i  John  3:9.  But  many 
who  have  been  baptized  may  perish.  Col. 
3:18,  19;  I  Tim.  1:19,  20;  5:15;  I  John  2: 

19. 

Q.  9.  Is  the  doctrine  of  baptismal  regeneration 
taught,  as  some  think,  in  John  3:5,  "Except  a  man  be 
born  of  water  and  the  Spirit,  he  cannot  enter  into  the 
Kingdom  of  God"? 

A.  No.  This  may  mean  that  in  order  to  entrance 
into  the  Kingdom  of  God  one  must  be  born  of  the  Spirit 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  349 

operating  like  water;  or,  as  many  think,  the  water  may 
denote  the  Word  which  the  Spirit  uses  in  the  cleansing  of 
souls.    Eph.  5  '.26. 

Q.  10.  How  are  the  words  addressed  by  Ananias  to 
Saul  of  Tarsus  to  be  understood,  "Arise  and  be  baptized, 
and  wash  away  thy  sins"  (Acts  22:16)? 

A.  These  words  do  not  indicate  that  ritual  bap- 
tism can  remove  sins;  but  only  that  it  symbolizes  such 
removal.  Saul's  utterance,  "Lord,  what  wilt  Thou  have 
me  to  do,"  revealed  the  fact  of  his  regeneration  and 
justification.  In  his  baptism  this  fact  was  appropriately 
symbolized  and  attested. 

Q.  II.     How  is  Baptism  to  be  administered? 

A.  By  the  pouring,  or  sprinkling,  of  water  upon 
the  person  presenting  himself,  or  presented,  for  baptism ; 
the  form  of  words,  'T  baptize  thee  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost,"  being 
at  the  same  time  solemnly  pronounced  by  the  officiating 
minister. 

Q.  12.  Are  there  not  many  who  contend  that  the 
only  valid  mode  of  administering  this  ordinance  is  by 
the  immersion,  or  submersion,  of  the  entire  body  in 
water? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  13.  What  name  is  commonly  used  to  designate 
those  who  hold  this  view? 

A.     The  name  "Baptists." 

Q.  14.     Is  this  a  proper  application  of  the  name? 

A.  No.  The  restriction  would  seem  to  imply  that 
they  alone  are  baptized  who  have  been  immersed ;  where- 
as a  vast  majority  of  professing  Christians  claim  tO'  have 
been  baptized,  although  not  immersed. 

Q.  15.  What  would  be  a  properly  distinctive  name 
for  those  who  hold  that  submersion  of  the  body  in  water 
is  essential  to  Baptism? 

A.  Dippers,  or  Immersionists ;  although,  with  the 
explanation  now  given,  we  may  for  sake  of  convenience, 
if  not  of  courtesy,  conform  to  current  usage. 


350  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  1 6.  What  are  the  main  arguments  urged  by 
Baptists  in  favor  of  immersion  as  the  only  lawful  mode 
of  Baptism? 

A.  a.  That  the  verb  "baptizo,"  used  in  the  original 
of  the  New  Testament,  signifies  invari- 
ably to  dip,  or  immerse;  and  that  this 
meaning  belongs  to  the  kindred  words 
"baptismos"  and  "baptisma,"  occurring  in 
the  original; 

b.  That  with   the  verb  just   named   are   joined 

prepositions  suggestive  of  immersion;  as, 
for  instance,  in  Matt.  3  :6,  "And  was  bap- 
tized of  him  in  Jordan."  See  also  Mark 
1:10;  Acts  8:38,  39; 

c.  That  the  reason  given  in  John  3 123  why  John 

baptized  in  ^non,  namely  "because  there 
was  much  water  there,"  is  at  variance 
with  the  notion  that  John  baptized  by 
sprinkling,  for  which  a  small  quantity  of 
water  would  suffice; 

d.  Stress  is  also  laid  on  Rom.  6:4  and  Col.  2:12, 

in  which,   it  is  thought,   Baptism   is   de- 
scribed as  an  interment. 
Q.  17.     Present  some  considerations  in  reply  to  these 

arguments,  and  in  favor  of  sprinkling  as  the  mode  of 

Baptism. 

A.  a.  The  ceremonial  cleansings  prescribed  in  the 
Levitical  code  are,  in  Heb.  9:10,  describ- 
ed as  "divers  baptisms,"  or  "washings," 
according  to  the  Authorized  Version.  But 
these  washings  (or  baptisms)  were  in- 
variably performed  by  sprinking  or  pour- 
ing. They  were  baptisms,  but  not  immer- 
sions. See  Heb.  9:13,  19,  21 ;  Num.  19:17, 
18;  Lev.  14:5-7;  Num.  19:13,  20; 
b.  In  Mark  7:4  it  is  said  that  the  Jews,  after 
being  in  the  market,  would  not  eat  till  they 
had  washed.    The  word  rendered  "wash- 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  351 

ed"  is  a  form  of  the  verb  "baptizo";  and 
so  the  custom  was,  if  this  verb  means  to 
immerse,  that  a  visit  to  the  market  entail- 
ed an  immersion  of  the  entire  body  before 
eating.  That  such  a  practice  existed  is 
most  improbable,  indeed  incredible,  in 
view  of  the  time,  trouble,  and  water  re- 
quired for  such  a  process.  Evidently  the 
aim  of  such  "baptizing"  was  not  to  re- 
move physical  filth;  for,  in  that  respect, 
ordinary  occupations  might  be  far  more 
defiling  than  a  visit  to  the  market.  The 
purpose  of  the  "baptizing"  in  question  was 
to  remove  ceremonial  defilement,  which 
might  readily  be  contracted  in  the  market 
place.  Such  defilement,  however,  was,  ac- 
cording to  the  Mosaic  enactments,  re- 
movable by  the  sprinkling  of  water,  an 
act  symbolic  of  spiritual  cleansing.  Ezek. 
36:25; 

c.  In  I  Cor.  10:2  the  Israelites  are  said  to  have 

been  baptized  "in  the  cloud  and  in  the 
sea."  The  cloud  came  over  them,  and  the 
spray  of  the  sea  may  have  fallen  upon 
them ;  but  they  were  not  dipped  into 
either. 

d.  The  forms  of  expression,  "in  Jordan,"  Matt. 

3:6;  "in,"  or  with,  "water,"  v.  11;  "in  the 
river  Jordan,"  Mark  i  :5  ;  "into  the  water," 
Acts  8:38;  "out  of  the  water,"  Acts  8:39, 
do  not  necessarily  import  immersion,  or 
dipping,  but  may  mean  simply  to,  or 
from,  the  objects  named. 

e.  The  reason  given  in  John  3  :23  for  John's  bap- 

tizing in  yEnon,  namely,  that  "there  was 
much  water  there,"  affords  no  proof  that 
he  baptized  by  immersion ;  for  it  does  not 
require  a  great  quantity  of  water  to  suffice 


352  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

for  this  purpose.  There  is  a  better  way 
of  accounting  for  the  selection.  yEnon 
afforded  an  adequate  supply  of  water  for 
the  needs  of  the  throng  of  people  who 
gathered  about  John. 

/.  It  seems  incredible  that  in  part  of  a  day,  that 
of  Pentecost,  3,000  people,  women  as  well 
as  men,  were  baptized  in  Jerusalem  in  the 
way  of  total  immersion  in  water. 

g.  The  language  used  by  Peter  (Acts  10:47), 
"Can  any  man  forbid  water  (or  the  water) 
that  these  should  not  be  baptized,"  is  un- 
natural, if  immersion  was  meant. 

h.  The  Philippian  jailer  and  his  household  (Acts 
16:33)  were  baptized  at  night,  in  the  pre- 
cincts of  the  prison  apparently.  That 
they  were  immersed  is,  to  say  the  least, 
improbable; 

i.  The  assertion  that  in  Rom.  6:4  and  Col.  2:12 
Baptism  is  likened  to  an  interment  is  un- 
warranted. By  virtue  of  his  federal  and 
vital  union  with  Christ,  his  head  and 
surety,  which  baptism  symbolizes,  the  be- 
liever may  be  said  to  have  died  with 
Christ  and  to  have  been  buried  and  raised 
with  Him.  Besides,  if  baptism  is  symbol- 
ic of  cleansing,  which  it  surely  is,  it  can- 
not be  a  symbol  of  burying; 

y.  The  figurative  language  used  in  Scripture  to 
signify  the  bestowal  of  the  Spirit  lends 
countenance  to  the  view  that  Baptism  is 
properly  performed  by  aflfusion  or  sprink- 
ling. A  drop  of  water  is  as  good  a  symbol 
of  cleansing  as  is  a  river.  Is.  44 :3 ;  63 : 
i;  Ezek.  36:25-27;  Zech.  12:10;  Acts  1:4, 
5 ;  2 :2,  17,  18,  33.* 

♦See  Note  at  end  of  Question  XCIV. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  353 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Ezek.  36:25-27;  Zech.   12:10;  Mark  7:4;  Rom.  6:4, 
5;  Gal.  3:27;  Col.  3:18,  19;  Heb.  9:10,  13;  i  John  2:19. 


Note. 

It  may  be  of  interest  to  state  here  that  while  the 
members  of  the  Westminster  Assembly  were  unanimous 
in  declaring  that  Baptism  "is  rightly  administered  by 
pouring,  or  sprinkling,  water  upon  the  person,"  many  of 
them  were  in  favor  of  mentioning  dipping  as  also  a  law- 
ful mode  of  Baptism.  The  insertion  of  a  clause  in  the 
Confession  expressive  of  this  latter  view  was  on  vote  de- 
feated by  a  majority  of  one. 


QUESTION  XCV. 
To  whom  is  Baptism  to  be  administered? 

ANSWER. 

Baptism  is  not  to  be  administered  to  any 
that  are  out  of  the  visible  Church  till  they  pro- 
fess their  faith  in  Christ  and  obedience  to  Him; 
but  the  infants  of  such  as  are  members  of  the 
visible  Church  are  to  be  baptized. 

Q.  I.     Who,  and  who  alone,  are  entitled  to  receive 
Baptism? 

A.     The  members  of  the  visible  Church. 
Q.  2.     Who  constitute  the  visible  Church? 
A;     a.  All  who  make  a  credible  profession  of  trust 
in  Christ  and  of  obedience  to  Him ; 
h.  In  addition  to  these  must  be  reckoned  their 
infants,  or  minor  children. 
Q.  3.     Is  the  recognition  of  such  children  as  mem- 
bers of  the  visible  Church,  and,  therefore,  as  entitled  to 
Baptism,  disputed  by  any? 

A.     Yes.     Many  question  both  positions. 


354  AN  EXPOSITION  OP 

Q.  4,  By  what  names  are  the  conflicting  parties  in 
this  case  distinguished? 

A.  Those  who  favor  the  baptism  of  infants  are 
styled  "Psedobaptists" ;  while  their  opponents  labor  under 
the  cumbrous  name  "Anti-psedobaptists,"  which,  how- 
ever, is  popularly,  though  inaccurately,  shortened  to 
"Baptists." 

Q.  5.  By  what  name  were  objectors  to  infant  bap- 
tism known  in  a  former  age? 

A.  They  were  styled  "Anabaptists,"  that  is,  rebap- 
tizers ;  because  they  insisted  on  the  baptism  of  all  who 
joined  them,  even  though  the  ordinance  had  been  admin- 
istered to  them  in  infancy.  In  other  words,  they  denied 
the  validity  of  infant  baptism. 

Q.  6.  How  may  the  right  of  the  infants  eind  minor 
children  of  a  church  member  to  Baptism  be  proved? 

A.  One  general  argument  in  favor  of  this  right  is 
the  fact  that  by  Divine  direction  the  sign  of  Circum- 
cision was  administered  to  infants  of  members  of  the 
Old  Testament  Church.  Those  who  use  this  argument 
assume,  warrantably  as  they  think,  that  Circumcision 
had  a  spiritual  import  such  as  pertains  to  Baptism. 

Q.  7.     Was  there  an  Old  Testament  Church? 

A.  Some  maintain  that  the  Church  originated  after 
the  death  of  Christ,  and  conspicuously  on  the  day  of 
Pentecost.  But  this  view  is  false,  as  may  be  shown  on 
different  grounds. 

Q.  8.     Indicate  some  of  these  grounds. 

A.  a.  The  Scriptures  show  that  from  the  date  of 
the  fall  and  the  announcement  of  salva- 
tion through  the  "seed  of  the  woman" 
there  has  been  a  company,  sometimes 
small,  who  professed  dependence  on  God 
for  all  good  and  their  devotion  to  Him. 
Gen.  3:21;  4:4,  26;  5:24;  6:18;  12:1-3; 
18:19; 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  355 

b.  The  descendants  of  Abraham,  in  the  line  of 

Isaac  and  Jacob,  received  from  God  in 
the  time  of  Moses  an  elaborate  system  of 
religious  ceremonies  to  be  carefully  ob- 
served by  them  as  His  people;  and  they 
are  expressly  styled  "the  Church."    Acts 

7:38; 

c.  Paul  depicts  the  Church  as  an  olive  tree  ex- 

isting in  Old  Testament  times  and  per- 
petuated in  the  New.  There  is  but  one 
trunk,  or  stock,  into  which  Gentiles  were 
inserted  by  grafting,  when  the  natural 
branches,  the  Jews,  were,  for  unbelief, 
broken  off.  Rom.  11:17-24. 
Q.  9.  Was  not  Circumcision  a  mere  national,  or 
civil,  badge? 

A.  No.  It  had  a  deeper,  even  a  spiritual,  signifi- 
cance. Deut.  10:16;  30:6;  Lev.  26:41;  Acts  7:51;  Rom. 
2:28,  29;  Col.  2:11. 

Q.  10.  Is  Baptism  of  like  spiritual  import  with 
Circumcision? 

A.  Yes.  Both  are  emblematic  of  the  removal  of 
pollution.  See  texts  cited  under  the  previous  question, 
together  with  Acts  22:16;  i  Pet.  3:21. 

Q.  II.     Are  not  both  seals  of  the  same  covenant? 

A.     Yes.    Rom.  4:10-12;  Gal.  3:27-29. 

Q.  12.  Is  it  not  then  to  be  presumed  that  Baptism 
now,  like  Circumcision  of  old,  should  be  administered  to 
the  infants  of  Church  members? 

a!     Yes. 

Q.  13.  State  a  second  general  argument  in  favor  of 
infant  Baptism. 

A.  The  evidence  of  the  New  Testament  falls  in  with 
and  confirms  the  presumption  already  reached. 

Q.  14.  Give  some  points  of  this  New  Testament  evi- 
dence. 


356 AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.  a.  In  the  direction  to  baptize  given  by  Christ  to 
His  disciples,  as  recorded  in  Matt.  28: 
19,  20,  there  is,  at  least,  no  express  warn- 
ing to  abstain  from  baptizing  children; 

b.  There   was   in   the   commission   an  order   to 

baptize,  but  none  to  circumcise,  a  fact 
from  which  it  might  very  reasonably  be 
inferred  that  Baptism  was  to  take  the 
place  of  Circumcision; 

c.  Naturally  it  would  be  assumed  that  the  order 

to  baptize  would  run  in  the  groove  of  the 
order  to  circumcise,  and,  if  so,  that  in- 
fants might  be  baptized.  Had  Christ 
said,  "Go,  make  disciples  of  all  nations, 
circumcising  them,"  it  would  have  been 
assumed  that  the  infants  of  Christian 
professors  should  be  circumcised; 

d.  Our  Lord  directed  that  the  nations,  when  in- 

structed, should  be  baptized;  but  a  na- 
tion consists  largely  of  little  children, 
and  a  nation  may  be  said  to  be  instructed 
when  all  in  it  capable  of  being  instructed, 
that  is,  all  the  adults,  have  been  taught; 

e.  The   demeanor   of  Christ   toward   little   chil- 

dren, and  His  utterance  respecting  them, 
as  reported  in  Matt.  19:13-15,  would  con- 
firm the  apostles  in  the  view  that  Bap- 
tism, like  Circumcision,  might  be  admin- 
istered to  infants ; 
/.  There  are  strong  indications  that  the  apostles 
understood  their  commission  in  accord- 
ance with  the  view  which  has  been  ex- 
pressed. 

Q.  15.     Specify  some  of  these  indications. 

A.  a.  In  his  address  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  Peter, 
urging  his  hearers  to  repent  and  be  bap- 
tized, enforced  his  appeal  by  saying,  "For 
the  promise  is  to  you  and  to  your  chil- 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  357 

dren."  The  promise  alluded  to  is  not 
that  of  miraculous  gifts,  such  as  the 
speaking  with  tongues  previously  un- 
known, for  these  are  not  always,  or  often, 
conferred,  but  the  infinitely  more  import- 
ant promise  of  the  Abrahamic  covenant, 
'T  will  be  a  God  to  thee  and  to  thy  seed 
after  thee."  And  in  saying,  "Be  baptiz- 
ed," Peter  hints  that  Baptism  was  to  sup- 
plant Circumcision  as  the  seal  of  this 
covenant  of  promise.  As  the  child  of  one 
who  had  been  circumcised  and  had  not 
repudiated  practically  the  privilege  and 
obligation  attaching  to  the  ordinance  of 
Circumcision  was  entitled  to  Circum- 
cision, so  the  child  of  one  who  has  been 
baptized  and  has  not  spurned  the  privi- 
lege and  obligation  pertaining  to  Baptism 
is  entitled  to  that  ordinance. 

b.  It  is  not  without  significance  that  in  the  case 

of  Lydia  (Acts  16:15),  and  in  that  of  the 
jailer  (Acts  16:34,  35),  the  baptism  of  the 
family  accompanied  that  of  the  head  of 
the  family.  This  fact  carries  us  back  in 
thought  to  the  circumcision  of  Abraham 
and  his  household.     Gen.  17:23; 

c.  In   I   Cor.  7:14  it  is  intimated  that  the  chil- 

dren of  even  one  professing  Christian  are 
in  some  sense  holy  because  of  that  rela- 
tion. How  are  they  holy?  In  this  sense, 
at  least,  that  they  are  set  apart,  or  are 
related  to  God,  in  a  special  way,  just  as 
as  were  the  children  of  Israelites;  and  in 
virtue  of  this  separation  are  entitled  to 
the  distinctive  sign,  formerly  Circum- 
cision, now  Baptism.  Baptists  have  con- 
tended that  "holy"  in  this  passage  is 
equivalent  to  "legitimate";  but  this  view 


358  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

is  untenable  for  at  least  two  reasons, 
namely,  that  the  children  of  unbelievers 
lawfully  wedded  are  legitimate ;  and  that 
the  word  "holy"  is  never  elsewhere  used 
to  denote  "legitimate." 
d.  In  the  New  Testament  history,  which  extends 
as  far  as  thirty  or  thirty-five  years  after 
the  death  of  Christ,  we  never  read  of  the 
baptism  of  any  of  the  grown-up  children 
of  the  early  converts  to  Christianity.  The 
absence  of  any  such  record  is  suggestive. 
It  seems  to  indicate  that  the  children  of 
such  converts  had  received  baptism  with 
their  parents. 

Q.  1 6.  Answer  the  objection  that  the  baptism  of 
an  infant  seems  useless  and  even  absurd. 

A.  a.  The  circumcision  of  infants  might  be  deemed 
even  more  useless  and  absurd ;  yet  God 
commanded  it. 

b.  The  objection  rests  largely  on  the  false  prin- 

ciple that  no  one  can,  without  his  con- 
sent, be  brought  under  obligation.  He, 
however,  that  was  circumcised  on  the 
eighth  day  of  his  life  was  by  that  very 
fact  made  a  debtor  to  keep  the  whole  law. 
Rom.  2 :25-29 ;  Gal.  5  :3.  In  civil  affairs, 
contracts  by  parents  may  bind  their  off- 
spring for  generations.  May  not  one  then 
by  baptism  in  infancy  be  morally  bound 
to  the  service  of  Christ? 

c.  The    baptism    of   infants    may    benefit    them 

through  its  effect  on  the  consciences  and 
hearts  of  their  parents. 

Q.  17.  What  is  the  ecclesiastical  standing  of  bap- 
tized infcmts,  or  minors? 

A.  a.  By  Baptism  they  are  not  made  members  of 
the  visible  Church,  but  are  formally  rec- 
ognized as  such; 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  359 

h.  Although  members,  they  are  only  members 
in  minority,  heirs,  yet  under  "tutors  and 
governors" ; 

c.  They  are  proper  subjects  of  Church  disci- 
pline, both  preventive  and  corrective,  yet 
modified  so  as  to  suit  their  stage  of  life. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Gen.  4:26;  Lev.  26:41;  Deut.  10:16;  Acts  7:38,  51; 
22:16;  Rom.  2:28,  29;  11:24;  Gal.  4:10-12;  5:3. 


QUESTION  XCVI. 
What  is  the  Lord's  Supper? 

ANSWER. 

The  Lord's  Supper  is  a  sacrament  wherein, 
by  giving  and  receiving  bread  and  vs^ine  accord- 
ing to  Christ's  appointment,  His  death  is  show- 
ed forth,  and  the  worthy  receivers  are,  not  after 
a  corporal  and  carnal  manner,  but  by  faith, 
made  partakers  of  His  body  and  blood,  with  all 
His  benefits,  to  their  spiritual  nourishment  and 
growth  in  grace. 

Q.  I.     What  is  the  general  design  of  the  ordinance 
of  the  Lord's  Supper? 

A.     a.  To  commemorate  the  death  of  Christ,     i  Cor. 

1 1 :  24-26 ; 

h.  To  exhibit  Him   as,  through  His  obedience 

unto  death,   the   author  of  spiritual   life, 

growth,  and  comfort  to  His  people.    John 

^•■ZZ^  35.  53-58; 

c.  To  form  a  fit  declaration  of  trust  in  Christ 

and  hearty  allegiance  to  Him.     i  Cor.  11: 
26; 

d.  To  be  a  manifestation  of  the  communion  of 

saints,  i  Cor.  10:16,  17. 


360  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  2.  What  are  the  elements,  or  material  signs,  to 
be  used  in  this  celebration? 

A.     Bread  and  wine. 

Q.  3.  Is  any  particular  kind  of  bread  requisite  for 
the  observance? 

A.  No;  the  essential  point  is  bread  fitted  to  nourish 
the  body. 

Q,  4.  At  the  institution  of  the  Supper,  what  kind  of 
bread  was  used? 

A.  No  doubt  unleavened  bread,  as  that  was  the 
only  kind  used  in  the  Passover  feast,  when  the  Supper 
was  instituted.     Ex.  12:18,  19. 

Q.  5.  Is  there  a  difference  of  view  and  practice  in 
regard  to  this  point  among  professing  Christians? 

A.  Yes.  The  Greek,  or  Eastern,  Church  requires 
the  use  of  leavened  bread,  by  way  of  antagonism  to  the 
Jews.  On  the  other  hand,  Romanists  and  Lutherans  in- 
sist on  the  use  of  unleavened  bread;  while  Churches  of 
the  Reformed,  or  Calvinistic  type,  deem  it  immaterial 
whether  the  bread  be  leavened  or  unleavened.  Christ 
employed  the  bread  which  was  in  use  at  the  time.  If 
the  substance  used  is  bread,  the  symbol  is  complete. 

Q.  6.  What  is  the  other  element,  or  material  sub- 
stance, required  in  the  Lord's  Supper? 

A.  A  potable,  or  fluid,  substance,  commonly  called 
"wine";  but  in  Scripture  styled  "the  fruit  of  the  vine." 
Matt.  26:29;  Mark  14:25. 

Q.  7.  Is  the  use  of  the  fermented  juice  of  the  grape 
in  the  Lord's  Supper  allowable? 

A.  Such  use  may  not  so  far  vitiate  the  ordinance 
as  to  nullify  it;  but,  on  sundry  accounts,  it  is  safer  to 
use  the  unfermented  juice  of  the  grape. 

Q.  8.  Why  are  there  two  "elements,"  or  material 
substances,  prescribed  for  the  Eucharist,  and  only  one 
for  Baptism,  the  other  sacrament? 

A.  In  Baptism  cleansing  is  the  prominent  idea,  and 
of  cleansing  water  is  the  proper  agent  and  symbol; 
whereas  in  the  Lord's  Supper  nutrition  is  the  prominent 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  361 

suggestion,  and  for  nutrition  both  eating  and  drinking 
are  indispensable. 

Q.  9.  What  daring  mutilation  of  the  Lord's  Supper 
is  perpetrated  by  Rome? 

A.  The  denial  of  the  cup  to  the  people ;  the 
"priests"  alone  being  permitted  to  partake  of  its  con- 
tents, and  they  only  when  officiating. 

Q.  10.     When  was  this  outrage  enacted  as  law? 
A.     In  A.  D.  141 5,  by  the  Council  of  Constance,  the 
same  which   sanctioned   the  burning  of  John   Hus  and 
Jerome  of  Prague. 

Q.  II.  What  reasons  are  given  in  defense  of  this 
innovation? 

A.     a.  The   risk  of  spilling  the  wine,  and   thus  of 
desecrating  the  blood  of  Christ; 
h.  The  fact   that   in   the   other   element,   bread, 
Christ  is  received  sufficiently. 
Q.    12.     Is    not    this    practice    directly    contrary    to 
Scripture? 
A.     Yes. 

Q.  13.     Show  this  contrariety. 

A.  a.  Our  Lord  in  presenting  the  cup  to  the  dis- 
ciples, the  representatives  in  this  case  of 
the  New  Testament  Church,  said,  "Drink 
ye  all  (or  all  ye)  of  it."  Matt.  26:27. 
This  is  the  more  significant  because  He 
did  not  say,  when  He  gave  the  bread, 
"Eat  ye  all  of  it" ; 

b.  As  if  to  guard  against  misunderstanding,  it 

is  recorded  in  Mark  14:23  that  "they  all 
drank  of  it"; 

c.  Paul    evidently    assumes  in   i    Cor.    11:26-29 

that  he  who  eats  the  bread  should  also 
drink  of  the  cup.  Here  then  is  an  in- 
stance of  a  palpable  violation  of  a  Scrip- 
tural ordinance  by  Romanists. 
Q.  14.  What  is  to  be  done  with  the  material  sub- 
stances used  in  the  Lord's  Supper?    In  other  words,  what 


362  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 


are  the  sacramental  actions  which  enter  into  this  observ- 
ance? 

A.  These  may  be  classed  under  two  heads,  name- 
ly, the  acts  of  the  administrator,  and  the  acts  of  the  re- 
cipient, or  communicant. 

Q.  15.  What  are  the  significant  acts  of  the  admin- 
istrator ? 

A.  a.  The  blessing  of  the  elements,  either  separate- 
ly, or  conjointly;  or,  in  other  words, 
prayer  that,  so  far  as  used,  they  may  be 
blessed  to  the  spiritual  benefit  of  the  com- 
municants ; 

b.  The  breaking  of  the  bread; 

c.  The  giving  of  the  bread  to  the  communicants ; 

the  act  of  giving  being  accompanied  by 
the  audible  utterance  of  the  words  used 
by  our  Lord  in  giving  the  bread  to  His 
disciples; 

d.  The  giving  of  the  cup  in  connection  with  the 

audible  utterance  of  the  words  of  Christ 
when  performing  that  act  to  His  disciples. 

Q.  16.  Is  the  preliminary,  formal  taking  up  of  the 
elements  by  the  minister  a  part  of  the  symbolism  of  the 
Supper? 

A.  By  some  it  is  held  to  be  so;  but  the  view  is 
hardly  warranted.  At  the  time  of  the  institution  of  the 
Supper  there  were  on  the  table  different  articles  of  diet, 
and  our  Lord's  "taking"  was  simply  His  singling  out 
two  of  these  to  be  the  standing  memorials  of  Himself  and 
His  atoning  work. 

Q.  17.  Does  the  setting  apart  of  the  elements  by 
prayer  form  a  part  of  the  eucharistic  service? 

A.  Yes.  It  is  noted  as  such  by  Matthew,  Mark, 
Luke,  and  Paul.  Matt.  26:26,  27;  Mark  14:22,  23;  Luke 
22:19;  I  Cor.  II  '.24. 

Q.  18.  Is  this  act  of  worship  a  consecration  of  the 
bread  and  wine,  so  that  they  may  be  called  "holy,"  like 
the  vessels  in  the  temple? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  363 

A.  No.  It  is  partly  an  expression  of  thanks  and 
partly  a  petition  that  the  elements  used  in  the  service 
may  be  attended  with  a  blessing  to  all  the  communi- 
cants ;  and  any  portion  of  the  bread  and  wine  which 
might  be  left  would  be  no  more  sacred  than  any  other 
bread  and  wine. 

Q.  19.  Is  the  breaking  of  the  bread  a  symbolic,  or 
significant,  act? 

A.  Yes.  It  is  noteworthy  that  Christ  did  not  give 
a  small  cake  to  each  disciple,  or  even  a  fragment  of  bread 
previously  broken ;  but  He  Himself  broke  the  bread  and, 
as  He  broke,  gave.  Matt.  26:26;  Mark  14:22;  i  Cor.  11: 
24.  Indeed  the  ordinance  was  known  in  the  apostolic 
time  as  "the  breaking  of  bread."  Acts  20:7;  i  Cor.  10: 
.16. 

Q.  20,  What  is  the  significance  of  the  breaking  of 
the  bread? 

A.  Clearly  the  breaking  or  crushing  of  Christ  in 
His  human  nature  that  He  might  be  to  His  people  the 
bread  of  life. 

Q.  21.  How  do  Romanists  and  some  Protestants 
mar  the  significance  of  the  ordinance  at  this  point? 

A.  Romanists  prepare  beforehand  small  cakes,  call- 
ed "wafers,"  one  of  which  is  dropped  by  the  "priest"  into 
the  mouth  of  each  communicant.  Some  Protestants  use 
small  squares  of  bread  previously  prepared  for  the  pur- 
pose. In  either  case  a  suggestive  feature  of  the  ordi- 
nance is  eliminated,  indeed  two  such  features,  namely, 
the  suffering  of  Christ,  and  the  close  relation  of  His  peo- 
ple to  each  other  through  having  Him  in  common  as 
their  food.    See  i  Cor.  10:16,  17. 

Q.  22.  What  is  the  third  significant  act  in  the  ad- 
ministration of  the  Lord's  Supper? 

A.  The  giving,  first,  of  the  bread  and,  then,  of  the 
cup. 

Q.  23.     What  is  the  spiritual  import  of  this  giving? 

A.  Christ's  giving  of  Himself  to  us  as  our  substi- 
tute, support,  and  solace.     Luke  22:19,  20;  John  6:48-58. 


364  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  24.  What  is  the  fourth  act  on  the  part  of  the 
administrator  of  the  Lord's  Supper? 

A.  The  audible  and  reverent  utterance  of  the  words 
spoken  by  our  Lord  as  He  presented  to  His  disciples  the 
symbols  of  His  body  and  blood,  i  Cor.  11 124,  25.  These 
words  form  the  key  of  the  observance. 

Q.  25.  What  is  the  first  outward  sacramental  act 
of  those  to  whom  the  Lord's  Supper  is  administered? 

A.  The  reception  with  their  own  hands  of  the 
bread  and  wine  presented.  Our  Lord  said  not  only 
"eat,"  but  "take,  eat."  Matt.  26:26;  Mark  14:22;  i  Cor. 
1 1  :24. 

Q.  26.     What  meaning  is  there  in  this  act? 

A.  It  signifies  that,  although  passive  in  his  regener- 
ation, the  believer  is  active  in  the  reception  of  Christ  as 
the  food  of  the  soul. 

Q.  27.  How  is  this  feature  of  the  ordinance  ob- 
scured, if  not  eliminated,  by  the  mode  of  celebration  pur- 
sued by  Romanists  and  some  nominal  Protestants? 

A.  In  the  cases  alluded  to,  the  administrator  does 
not  give  the  bread  into  the  hands  of  the  communicants; 
but  he  himself  drops  it  into  their  mouths.  They  eat,  it 
is  true;  but  they  do  not  take  and  eat.  The  symbolism  is 
thus  impoverished.  Men  may  mar,  but  can  never  mend, 
God's  ordinances. 

Q.  28.  What  is  the  second  class  of  acts  on  the  part 
of  the  receiver  of  the  Lord's  Supper? 

A.  The  actual  eating  of  the  bread  and  drinking  of 
the  wine. 

Q.  29.     What  do  these  acts  denote? 

A.  They  are  meant  to  express  the  reception  of 
Christ  as  the  support  and  nutriment,  as  well  as  source, 
of  our  spiritual  life.  To'  see,  or  smell,  or  touch  the  ele- 
ments is  not  enough.  They  must  be  taken  into  the 
mouth  and  swallowed.  So  it  is  not  enough  to  read  or 
hear  about  Christ  as  a  Saviour.  We  must  appropriate 
Him  to  ourselves  by  faith.  To  be  benefited  we  must 
"eat  that  which  is  good." 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  365 

Q.  30.  What  is  the  inward,  or  mental,  attitude  nec- 
essary to  the  proper  observance  of  the  Supper? 

A,  Several  exercises  of  soul  are  involved  in  the  due 
observance  of  this  ordinance,  such  as  love,  joy,  sorrow, 
gratitude;  but  pre-eminently  faith  is  requisite,  by  which 
Christ  is  appropriated  in  correspondence  with  the  out- 
ward acts  of  taking,  eating,  and  drinking. 

Q.  31.  Present  in  brief  form  the  manifold  meaning 
of  the  Lord's  Supper. 

A,  a.  Its  most  obvious  end  is  to  perpetuate  the  re- 
membrance of  the  Redeemer,  especially 
of  His  death  for  sinners,  i  Cor.  11:24- 
26.  Some  contend  that  this  memorial 
function  is  its  only  purpose;  but,  if  so, 
the  spectators  might  derive  as  much 
benefit  from  it  as  the  partakers; 

b.  It  is  meant  to  be  not  only  a  sign  of  spiritual 

good,  but  also  to  be  to  believers  a  seal,  or 
sensible  pledge,  of  the  love  of  Christ  to 
them,  and  of  the  fulfilment  to  them  of 
His  promises.  Being  such  a  pledge,  the 
Lord's  Supper  properly  belongs  to  be- 
lievers only;  but,  as  administered  by  men 
who  cannot  search  the  heart,  it  is  open  to 
those  who  make  a  credible  profession  of 
faith  in  Christ  and  of  obedience  to  Him; 

c.  It  is  a  covenanting  ordinance.   God  by  it  con- 

firms His  covenant  made  with  His  people 
in  Christ;  while  they  in  response  attest 
their  acceptance  of  Him  as  their  Lord 
and  portion; 

d.  It  is  a  witnessing  ordinance,  in  which  a  pro- 

fession of  trust  in  Christ  and  of  allegiance 
to  Him  is  made  before  the  world.  It  is  a 
part  of  public  worship  accordingly,  i 
Cor.  11:20,  26;  Acts  20:7.  Hence  the 
practice   of   dismissing  the    congregation 


366  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

before  the  observance  of  the  Supper  is  at 
variance    with    one    design    of    the    ordi- 
nance ; 
e.  It    is    emphatically    an    ordinance    of    com- 
munion, first,  between  believers  and  the 
persons   of  the   Godhead,   and,   next,   be- 
tween believers  themselves. 
Q.  32.     How  may  the  main  aspects  of  the  Lord's 
Supper  be  described  in  concise,  alliterative  form? 

A.  It  may  be  characterized  as  a  commemorative,  a 
confirming,  a  covenanting,  a  confessing,  and  a  commun- 
ing ordinance. 

Q.  33.  What  are  the  most  notable  errors  touching 
the  nature  of  the  Lord's  Supper? 

A.     a.  The  Zwinglian,  or  bare  memorial,  view ; 

b.  The  Romish,  or  Transubstantiation,  view; 

c.  The  Lutheran,  or  Consubstantiation,  view; 
Q.  34.     What  is  the  Zwinglian  view? 

A.  That  is,  that  the  Supper  is  merely  a  vivid  method 
of  commemorating  the  death  of  Christ.  There  is  some 
reason  to  think  that  this  partial  view  of  the  ordinance 
was  finally  abandoned,  or  modified,  by  the  illustrious 
Reformer  from  whom  it  derived  its  name. 

Q.  35.     Is  this  view  tenable? 

A.  It  is  in  part  correct;  for  unquestionably  the 
Supper  is  commemorative  (i  Cor.  11:24,  25),  but  the 
view  is  not  complete,  else  the  Lord's  Supper  should  be 
no  more  restricted  to  any  class  than  is  the  gospel.  The 
self-examination  required  before  the  observance  of  the 
Supper  is  not  a  pre-requisite  to  the  reading  of  the  Scrip- 
tures ;  but  if  the  Supper  is  a  sealing,  as  well  as  a  memo- 
rial, ordinance,  the  necessity  of  self-scrutiny  before  en- 
gaging in  it  becomes  obvious. 

Q.  36.  What  is  the  nature  of  the  Romish  doctrine 
of  Transubstantiation? 

A.  It  is  that,  on  consecration  by  a  "priest,"  the  ele- 
ments of  the  Lord's  Supper  are  changed  into  the  very 
body  and  blood  together  with  the  soul  and  divinity  of 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  367 

the  Lord  Jesus  Christ;  yet  that  there  is  no  change  in 
the  appearance  (or  "accidents")  of  those  elements. 

Q.  37.  When  was  this  doctrine  first  declared  to  be 
a  dogma  of  the  Romish  communion? 

A.  It  was  the  growth  of  centuries,  and  was  strenu- 
ously resisted  by  some  eminent  men;  but  in  A.  D.  1215 
it  was  formally  decreed  as  a  dogma  of  the  Church  by 
the  Fourth  Council  of  Lateran. 

Q.  38.  What  proofs  of  this  monstrous  tenet  do 
Romanists  profess  to  find  in  Scripture? 

A.  Chiefly  some  utterances  of  Christ  recorded  in 
John  6:51-58,  together  with  words  used  by  Him  at  the 
institution  of  the  ordinance. 

Q.  39.  How  may  the  argument  drawn  from  John 
6:51-58  be  disposed  of? 

A.  a.  When  Christ  expressed  the  sentiments  re- 
corded in  this  passage,  the  Lord's  Supper 
had  not  been  instituted.  The  eating  and 
drinking  which  He  declares  indispensable 
to  salvation  must  be  something  else  than 
eating  and  drinking  in  the  Eucharist, 

b.  In  V.  53  our  Lord  is  represented  as  saying, 

"Except  ye  eat  the  flesh  of  the  Son  of 
Man  and  drink  His  blood,  ye  have  no 
life  in  you."  Romanists,  however,  hold 
that  when  a  man  is  baptized  he  has 
spiritual  life  imparted  to  him,  and  that 
only  the  baptized  may  partake  of  the 
Eucharist.  Evidently  Christ  meant  to 
teach,  not  that  participation  of  the 
Eucharist  is  essential  to  our  having 
spiritual  life,  but  that  the  reception  of 
Him  by  faith  as  the  bread  of  life  is  es- 
sential to  salvation. 

c.  Our  Lord  intimates  that  every  one  who  eats 

His  flesh  and  drinks  His  blood  shall  be 
raised  up  (that  is,  raised  up  in  glory)  at 
the  last  day.     But  Romanists  admit  that 


368  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

it  is  possible  to  partake  of  the  Eucharist 
and  yet  be  lost.  If  so,  it  cannot  be  to 
the  Eucharist  that  Christ  alludes  when 
He  speaks  of  eating  His  flesh  and  drink- 
ing His  blood. 

d.  Christ  furnished  the  key  to  His  statements 
about  eating  His  flesh  and  drinking  His 
blood  by  adding,  "It  is  the  spirit  that 
quickeneth,  the  flesh  profiteth  nothing; 
the  words  that  I  speak  unto  you,  they  are 
spirit  and  they  are  life."  He  thus  guards 
against  a  carnal,  or  literal,  interpretation 
of  His  address,  such  as  some  of  His 
hearers,  and  as  do  Romanists  now,  put 
upon  it. 
Q.  40.     Refute  the  argument  founded  by  Romanists 

on  the  words  spoken  by  Christ  at  the  institution  of  the 

Supper,  "This  is  My  Body,"  etc. 

A.  a.  The  verb  "to  be"  is  often  used  in  Scripture, 
as  in  common  speech,  to  express  resem- 
blance or  representation,  rather  than 
identity  or  sameness.  For  instance,  see 
Ps.  18:1,  "The  Lord  is  my  rock";  John 
10:9,  "I  am  the  door";  John  15:1,  "I  am 
the  true  vine";  i  Cor.  10:4,  "And  that 
rock  was  Christ";  Gen.  49:9,  "Judah  is  a 
lion's  whelp";  v.  22,  "Joseph  is  a  fruitful 
bough."  Why  then  may  not  the  words, 
"This  is  my  body,"  be  understood  to  mean 
"This  is  a  sign,  or  symbol,  of  My  body"? 
b.  The  disciples  whom  Christ  addressed  did  not 
understand  Him  to  speak  literally;  for 
they  exhibited  no  horror,  which  they  cer- 
tainly would,  had  they  supposed  that  they 
were  invited  to  eat  the  very  flesh  and, 
especially,  to  drink  the  blood  of  their 
Master; 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  369 

c.  Even    after   blessing   the    wine,    Christ    con- 

tinued to  call  it  "the  fruit  of  the  vine." 
Matt.  26:29;  Mark  14:25. 

d.  As  Romanists  insist  on  literality,  they  should 

hold  that  the  cup  itself  was  changed  to 
be  "the  new  testament,"  or  covenant,  i 
Cor.  II  :25; 

e.  According     to     Romish     interpretation,     the 

bread   and  wine  are  at  once  Christ  and 
symbols  of  Him ;  which  is  to  say  that  He 
is  a  symbol  of  Himself; 
/.  If  Rome's  interpretation  is  correct,  Christ  was 
literally   in   the  mouths  of  His  disciples 
while  He  was  sitting  among  them  at  the 
table ; 
g.  According  to  the  Transubstantiation  doctrine, 
the  body  and  blood  of  Christ  are  present, 
whole  and  entire,  in  a  thousand  different 
places  at  the  same  instant; 
h.  This  doctrine  lays  a  basis  for  universal  scep- 
ticism ;  for  it  requires  us  to  distrust  the 
testimony  of  our  bodily   senses.      If  we 
may  not  trust  our  senses,  what  proof  have 
we  that  there  is  a  Bible,  or  a  society  call- 
ed "the  Church,"  or  an  outer  world? 
Q.  41.     Mention  two  Romish  tenets  which  rest  upon 
the  doctrine  of  Transubstantiation,  and  which  must  fall 
with  it. 

A,  "The  adoration  of  the  host"  and  "the  sacrifice 
of  the  mass." 

Q.  42,  In  the  phrase,  "adoration  of  the  host,"  what 
does  the  word  "host"  mean? 

A.  Literally  it  means  a  sacrificial  victim,  being  de- 
rived from  the  Latin  word  "hostia,"  which  has  that  sig- 
nification. 

Q.  43.  What  victim  is  denoted  by  the  phrase  "ado- 
ration of  the  host"? 


370  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.  Christ,  as  produced  by  virtue  of  a  priest's  con- 
secration of  bread  and  wine. 

Q.  44.  Do  Romanists  teach  that  the  elements  thus 
consecrated  are  to  be  worshipped  with  supreme  adora- 
tion? 

A.     They  do. 

Q.  45.     Refute  this  dogma. 

A.     a.  Manifestly  it  falls  with  the  doctrine  of  Tran- 
substantiation,  of  which  a  refutation  has 
been  ofifered; 
&,.  There  is  no  suggestion  in  Scripture  that  such 
homage  should  be  paid  to  the  sacrament- 
al elements. 
Q.  46.     Is  not  the  practice  of  receiving  the  commun- 
ion in  a  kneehng  posture  objectionable? 

A.  Yes ;  as  it  seems  to  countenance  the  notion  that 
the  elements  are  to  be  worshipped. 

Q.  47.  What  is  the  posture  proper  to  the  observ- 
ance? 

A.  A  table  posture,  or  such  as  is  customary  at  an 
ordinary  meal.  The  disciples  at  the  original  observance, 
no  doubt,  reclined,  as  that  was  at  the  time  a  customary 
attitude  at  table.  John  13  123,  25.  We,  however,  sit  at 
table. 

Q.  48.  What  is  meant  by  the  dogma  of  "the  sacri- 
fice of  the  mass"? 

A.  It  is  to  the  effect  that  the  elements  of  the 
Eucharist  consecrated  by  a  priest,  and  offered  by  him  to 
God,  form  a  real,  propitiatory  sacrifice  for  the  sins 
of  the  living  and  the  dead. 

Q.  49.  Disprove  this  doctrine  of  Rome. 
A.  a.  It  rests  on  the  doctrine  of  Transubstantia- 
tion,  already  shown  to  be  false  and  ab- 
surd; 
b..  It  is  derogatory  to  the  atonement  of  Christ, 
Who  by  one  offering  of  Himself  procured 
the  salvation  of  all  His  people.  Rom.  8: 
32;  Heb.  7:27;  9:25-28;  10:10,  12-14. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  371 

Q.  50.     What  is  the  Lutheran  doctrine  of  Consub- 
stantiation  ? 

A.     It  is  that  although  the  bread  and  wine  used  in 
the   Supper   remain   unchanged,  Christ   is  in,  with,   and 
under  them,  even  as  to  His  humanity,  Hterally  present. 
Q.  51.     Refute  this  doctrine. 

A.  a.  There  is  nothing  in  the  words  of  institution 
to  support  this  view,  any  more  than  to 
support  the  Romish  doctrine  of  Transub- 
stantiation ; 
b.  It  involves  the  notion  that  the  humanity  of 
Christ  is  vested  with  the  attribute  of 
ubiquity,  or  omnipresence;  which  is 
equivalent  to  saying  that  God  can  be 
created. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

I   Cor.  10:16,  17;  11:26-29;  Matt,  26:27;  Mark  14: 
23;  Ex.  12:18-20;  John  6:53-58;  Heb.  9:25-28. 


QUESTION  XCVII. 


What  is  required  to  the  worthy  receiving 
of  the  Lord's  Supper?  ■ 

ANSWER. 

It  is  required  of  them  that  would  worthily 
partake  of  the  Lord's  Supper  that  they  examine 
themselves  of  their  knowledge  to  discern  the 
Lord's  body,  of  their  faith  to  feed  upon  Him,  of 
their  repentance,  love,  and  new  obedience,  lest, 
coming  unworthily,  they  eat  and  drink  judg- 
ment to  themselves. 

Q.  I.     For  whom  is  the  gospel  provided? 

A.     For  men  as  fallen,  and  therefore  needing  salva- 
tion.    Prov.  8:4;  Matt.  11:28;  i  Tim.  1:15. 

Q.  2.     For  whom  is  the  Lord's  Supper  provided? 


372  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.     a.  For  human  beings  only.     It  is  not  for  angels. 
h.  Only  for  those  who  make  a  credible  profes- 
sion of  faith  in  Christ  and  obedience  to 
Him.     Acts  20:7; 
c.  For  none  but  those   who  really  possess  the 
faith   and  the  spirit  of  obedience  which 
they  profess. 
Q.   3.     Unable  to  discern  the  heart  unerringly,   as 
are  those  who  have  charge  of  the  Lord's  table,  how  are 
they  to  be  guided  in  admitting  to  it? 

A.  By  outward  appearances;  applicants  who  seem 
to  have  the  requisite  qualifications  being  admitted,  and 
none  else. 

Q.  4.  Yet  should  any,  proposing  to  observe  this 
ordinance,  be  satisfied  with  a  mere  outward  profession 
of  Christian  faith? 

A.     No.     They  should  duly  consider  that  they  have 
to  do  with  God  Who  searches  the  heart  and  hates  lies. 
Q.  5.     About  what  should  those  who  propose  to  ob- 
serve this  solemnity  examine  themselves? 

A.     a.  As  to  their  knowledge  of  the  true  import  of 
the  ordinance; 
h.  As  to  their  possession  of  true  faith  in  Christ, 
and  of  the  present  exercise  of  that  faith ; 

c.  As  to  the  fact,  and  the  evangelical  character, 

of  their  repentance ; 

d.  As  to  their  possession  of  true  love  to  God  and 

man; 

e.  As  to  their  disposition  to  obey  God  implicitly 

and  fully. 

Q.  6.  What  is  meant  by  "discerning  the  Lord's 
body"? 

A.  This  expression,  or  the  equivalent  but  briefer 
form,  "discerning  the  body,"  occurs  in  i  Cor.  11:29,  and 
manifestly  means  the  recognition  under  the  symbols  of 
bread  and  wine  of  Christ  crucified  for  us. 

Q.  7.  Is  the  possession  of  the  habit,  or  principle,  of 
faith  a  sufficient  preparative  for  the  observance  of  the 
Supper? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  373 

A.  No;  this  principle  must  be  in  exercise,  not  dor- 
mant. 

Q.  8.  What  is  the  repentance  requisite  for  the 
proper  observance  of  this  ordinance? 

A.  A  true  sorrow  for  our  sin,  especially  as  done 
against  a  gracious  God.     Zech.  12:10. 

Q.  9.  What  is  the  love  requisite  for  true  commun- 
ion at  the  Lord's  table? 

A.  Love  to  God  supremely,  and  love  to  our  fellow- 
men,  particularly  to  our  fellow-Christians.  Gal.  6:10;  i 
John  3:16;  4:19,  20. 

Q.  10.     What  is  meant  by  "new  obedience"? 

A.  a.  Obedience  proceeding  from  a  new  principle, 
namely,  love  to  God  supremely; 
b.  Obedience  directed  to  a  new  end,  namely,  the 
glory  of  God  chiefly,  and  the  welfare  of 
ourselves  and  others  subordinately.  i 
Cor.  10:31;  Luke  10:27. 

Q.  II.  What  bearing  has  this  requirement  of  self- 
examination  on  the  question  of  Infant  Communion  as 
practiced  in  the  Greek  Church? 

A.  It  shows  the  impropriety  of  such  a  practice ;  for 
infants  cannot  examine  themselves,  or  "discern  the 
Lord's  body." 

Q.  12.  Does  self-examination  preclude  any  exam- 
ination of  applicants  by  church  officers  having  charge  of 
the  Lord's  table? 

A.  No.  Some  may  be  ignorant,  or  self-deceived ; 
and  officers  exist  by  Divine  authority  to  guard  against 
the  desecration  of  sacred  things.  Acts  20:28;  i  Tim.  5: 
17;  Heb.  13:17. 

Q'.  13.  What  is  meant  by  the  expression  "Eat  and 
drink  judgment  to  themselves"? 

A.  It  does  not  mean  that  the  sin  of  "unworthy  com- 
municating" is  unpardonable,  although,  like  all  sin, 
worthy  of  endless  punishment;  but  only  that  he  who 
commits  it  deserves  the  punishment  due  to  a  grave 
offense. 


374  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  14.  May  the  Lord's  Supper  be  repeatedly  ob- 
served by  the  same  person? 

A.  Yes.  In  this  it  differs  from  Baptism,  which  is 
not  to  be  administered  more  than  once  to  the  same 
person. 

Q.  15.  Why  should  this  difference  be  made  in  the 
two  cases? 

A.  Baptism  points  to  the  initiation  of  spiritual  life, 
which  occurs  but  once  in  any  person ;  whereas  the  Supper 
points  to  nutrition,  which  is  a  process. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Zech.  12:10;  Luke  10:27;  Acts  20:7;  i  Cor.  11:29; 
Gal.  6:10;  I  John  3:16;  4:19,  20. 


QUESTION  XCVIII. 

What  is  prayer? 

ANSWER. 


Prayer  is  an  offering  up  of  our  desires  to 
God  for  things  agreeable  to  His  will,  in  the 
name  of  Christ,  with  confession  of  our  sins  and 
thankful  acknowledgment  of  His  mercies. 

Q.  I.     Is  prayer  a  means  of  grace? 
A.     Yes ;  it  is  an  outward  means  of  grace ;  while  the 
true  spirit  of  prayer  is  a  fruit  of  grace.     Zech.   12:10; 
Rom.  8:26. 

Q.  2.     Why  may  it  be  accounted  a  means  of  grace? 
A.     a.  Because  God  has  appointed  it  as  an  expedient 
for  procuring  blessings  from  Him.     Jas. 
1:5;  Phil.  4:6,  7;  Luke  11:9-13; 
h.  Because  the  very  exercise  of  prayer  holds  us 
in    converse    with    God,    and    calls    into 
operation  various  holy  affections. 
Q.  3.     What  is  the  distinctive  feature  of  prayer? 
A.     Petition  or,  at  least,  a  longing  which  prompts 
to  petition. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  375 

Q.  4.  Can  there  be  prayer  without  the  use  of 
words  ? 

A.  Yes,  but  not  prayer  in  its  normal,  or  complete, 
form,  Hos,  14:2;  Matt.  6:9;  Luke  18:13.  The  tendency 
of  desire  is  to  clothe  itself  in  words.  In  the  case  of  a 
dumb  person  the  desire  is  equal  to  verbal  petition. 

Q.  5.  What  are  the  close  adjuncts,  or  accompani- 
ments, of  prayer? 

A.     a.  Confession  of  sin.     This  is  fitting  as  an  act 
of   humility,    and    an    expression   of    our 
sense  of  need.     Luke  18:13; 
h.  Thanksgiving.       Every     human     being     has 
reason  to  be  grateful  to  God ;  and  the  ex- 
pression of  gratitude  for  favors  received 
becomes  one  who  is  seeking  more. 
Q.  6.     Is   there   an   element   of   praise   involved   in 
genuine  prayer? 

A.  Yes.  In  prayer  there  is,  at  least,  an  implied  ac- 
knowledgment of  the  power,  wisdom,  truthfulness,  and 
goodness  of  God ;  and  such  a  recognition  is  of  the  general 
nature  of  praise, 

Q,  7.  Yet  is  there  not  a  difference  between  prayer 
and  praise? 

A,  Yes;  and  hence  it  is  not  safe  to  argue,  as  do 
some,  that  because  we  are  at  liberty  to  frame  our  own 
prayers,  we  are  warranted  to  make  hymns  and  sing 
them  in  the  worship  of  God, 

Q.  8.  To  whom  is  an  act  of  spiritual  homage  to  be 
addressed? 

.A,  To  God  only.  Matt.  4:10;  6:9;  Ps,  62:5-8;  65: 
2 ;  Jas,  1 :5 ;  Rev,  22  -.g. 

Q,  9,  In  praying  to  God,  do  we  pray  to  all  the 
persons  of  the  Trinity? 

A,  Yes,  essentially  viewed;  for  the  three  are  one 
in  essence, 

Q.  10.  May  we  pray  to  each  person  of  the  God- 
head distinctively? 


376  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.  We  may  thus  pray  to  the  Father  and  the  Son 
at  least.  See  Acts  7:59,  60;  2  Cor.  12:8,  9;  Eph.  1:17; 
3:14;  I  Thess.  3:11. 

Q.  II.  May  we  directly  and  distinctively  render 
spiritual  homage  and  praise  to  the  Holy  Spirit? 

A.  Yes.  Matt.  28:20;  2  Cor.  13:14;  Rev.  1:4.  But 
in  worshipping  we  must  rely  for  acceptance  of  our  ser- 
vice on  Jesus  Christ.    John  14:6;  Eph.  2:18;  Col.  3:17. 

Q.  12.  May  we  directly  pray  to  the  Holy  Spirit  as 
a  person  of  the  Trinity? 

A.  The  propriety  of  such  prayer  is,  at  least,  ques- 
tionable. 

Q.  13.     Why  questionable? 

A.  a.  There  is  in  the  Scriptures  no  clear  example 
of  prayer  to  the  Holy  Spirit  personally. 
That  this  name  appears  in  the  apostolic 
benediction  in  2  Cor.  13:14,  and  for  sub- 
stance in  the  benediction  recorded  in 
Rev.  1 :4,  5,  is  true ;  but  a  benediction  is 
not  a  prayer.  It  is  an  authoritative  dec- 
laration of  blessings  to  be  bestowed  on 
all  who,  through  grace,  are  entitled  to 
them; 
b.  In  the  economy  of  redemption  each  person 
of  the  Trinity,  according  to  free  mutual 
arrangement,  sustains  a  particular  part, 
while  concurring  in  the  whole.  The  part 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  our  salvation  seems 
to  be  to  carry  into  effect  in  our  sanctifi- 
cation  the  will  of  the  Father  and  the  Son. 
Hence  they  are  represented  as  sending, 
or  giving,  or  withdrawing,  the  Spirit. 
John  3:34;  14:26;  15:26;  16:7;  Acts  2: 
17,  18,  33;  5:32;  Ps.  51:11;  Joel  2:28,  29; 
Zech.  12:10;  Luke  11:13.  Thus  the  view 
seems  to  be  sanctioned  that  those  who 
desire  for  themselves  or  others  the  saving 
operations    of    the    Holy    Spirit    should 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  377 


solicit  the  boon  either  from  the  Trinity, 
or  from  the  Father,  or  the  Son,  not  from 
the  Holy  Spirit  personally. 
Q.  14.     Is  it  lawful  to  pray  to  angels,  or  to  glorified 
saints  ? 

A.     No. 

Q.  15.  Why  should  such  an  act  be  deemed  unlaw- 
ful? 

A.     a.  Because  God  has  not  directed  us  so  to  pray; 

b.  No  approved  instance  of  such  prayer  is  found 

in  the  Bible; 

c.  We  have  no  assurance  that  such  beings  can 

even  know  when  we  pray; 

d.  Even  if  they  did  know,  they  could  not  with 

certainty  tell  whether  or  not  our  prayer 
proceeded  from  faith,  and  might  fitly  be 
granted. 

Q.  16.     What  things  may  we  ask  in  prayer? 

A.  Only  those  things  which  God  has  promised  to 
bestow  on  true  suppliants.    Jas.  i  :6,  7;  2  Pet.  i  4;  i  John 

5:14- 

Q.  17.  How  are  we  to  ascertain  what  is  agreeable 
to  God's  will? 

A.     By  His  Word,  which  contains  His  promises. 

Q.  18.  What  is  meant  in  this  case  by  the  "will"  of 
God? 

A.  Both  His  will  of  precept  and  His  will  of  pur- 
pose. 

Q.  19.  Are  we  warranted  to  ask  God  to  bless  any 
sinful  act  or  project? 

A.  No;  for  that  would  be  to  ask  Him  to  favor  what 
He  has  declared  He  unchangeably  hates.  But  we  may 
ask  Him  to  over-rule  sin  for  His  own  glory  and  our 
good. 

Q.  20.  Are  there  not  cases  in  which  we  may  be  in- 
competent to  judge  what  would  be  for  the  glory  of  God 
and  our  good? 


378  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.  Yes;  and  in  such  cases  we  should  ask  submiss- 
ively, or  conditionally.  In  this  way  mere  temporal  bene- 
fits, such  as  health,  or  wealth,  are  to  be  sought. 

Q.  21.  In  order  to  constitute  our  prayer  a  prayer  of 
faith,  is  it  necessary  that  we  feel  sure  of  receiving  the 
very  thing  we  ask? 

A.  No;  but  that  we  feel  persuaded  that  we  shall 
receive  either  the  thing  asked,  or  something  better,  i 
Cor.  12:8-10;  Ps.  145:19. 

Q.  22.     In  whose  name  is  prayer  to  be  made? 

A.  In  the  name  of  Christ,  the  only  Mediator  be- 
tween God  and  man.  John  14:6,  13,  14;  16:23;  Eph.  2: 
18:  I  Tim.  2:5;  Rev.  8:3,  4. 

Q.  23.  What  is  meant  by  praying  in  the  name  of 
Christ? 

A.  Asking  that  in  consideration  or  on  account  of 
His  atoning  work,  the  petitions  we  offer  may  be 
graciously  granted. 

Q.  24.  May  not  prayer  be  offered  really  in  the  name 
of  Christ,  even  when  His  name  is  not  mentioned? 

A.  Yes,  if  the  latent,  or  habitual,  sense  of  depend- 
ence on  His  merit  pervades  the  soul  of  the  suppliant. 

Q.  25.  Yet  is  it  not  most  fit,  especially  in  public  and 
social  prayer,  that  express  mention  be  made  of  Him  Who 
is  the  "way"  from  God  and  to  Him  in  favor? 

A.  Yes,  and  any  society  which  forbids  this  should 
be  shunned. 

Q.  26.  May  it  be  said  that  before  the  death  of 
Christ  the  prayers  of  all  the  faithful  were  offered  in  His 
name? 

A.  Yes,  that  they  were  offered  implicitly,  or  vir- 
tually so.  From  the  date  of  the  first  announcement  of  a 
Deliverer  (Gen.  3:15),  the  minds  of  men  were  turned  in 
hope  toward  the  appearance  in  the  flesh  of  One  able  to 
save.  In  the  sacrificial  system,  especially  as  developed  in 
the  Mosaic  ritual,  this  expectation  was  encouraged. 
Those  who  entered  into  the  true  meaning  of  that  amaz- 
ing system  saw  in  it  a  foreshadowing  of  a  great  Saviour. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  379 

This  interpretation  was  suggested  and  powerfully  sanc- 
tioned by  positive  verbal  predictions  of  a  coming  De- 
liverer. To  Him,  accordingly,  as  their  substitute  and  ad- 
vocate the  minds  of  true  worshippers  turned  during  the 
dim  centuries  which  intervened  between  the  fall  and  the 
crucifixion.     John  8:56;  Gal.  3:8;  Heb.  11:13. 

Q.  27.  Is  there  any  particular  bodily  attitude  re- 
quired in  prayer? 

A.  While  the  bodily  attitude  is  of  secondary  im- 
portance, and  may  be  dictated  by  circumstances,  there 
are  certain  postures  which  seem  becoming  as  expressive 
of  reverence,  and  for  which  there  is  sanction  in  Scrip- 
ture. 

Q.  28.     What  are  these? 

A.  Kneeling  (2  Chron.  6:13;  Ps.  95:6;  Dan.  6:10; 
Luke  22:41;  Acts  9:40;  21:5;  Eph.  3:14);  standing 
(Mark  11:25;  Luke  18:11,  13);  prostration  (i  Chron.  21: 
16;  Matt.  26:39;  Luke  5:8,  12);  bowing  (Gen.  24:26; 
47:31;  Ex.  4:31;  12:27;  20:5;  I  Kings  1:47;  2  Chron.  20: 
18;  29:29,  30). 

Q.  29.  Mention  the  elements  of  prayer  in  its  widest 
sense. 

A.  Adoration,  confession,  thanksgiving,  and  peti- 
tion ;  the  last  being  the  most  characteristic  ingredient. 

Q.  30.  Is  it  the  duty  of  an  unconverted  man  to 
pray? 

A.  Yes.  See  Is.  55:6,  7;  Joel  1:14;  Ps.  14:4;  Jer. 
10:25. 

Q.  31.  But  is  not  the  prayer  of  the  wicked  an 
abomination  to  the  Lord? 

A.  Yes.  See  Prov.  28:9;  15:8;  21:27.  But  the 
prayerlessness  of  the  wicked  is  a  greater  abomination. 
Jer.  10:25. 

Q.  32.     May  we  urge  the  wicked  to  pray? 

A.  Yes.  See  Is.  55:7;  Acts  8:21-23.  But  at  the 
same  time,  they  should  be  instructed  to  pray  in  faith, 
and,  in  the  very  attempt  to  pray,  faith  may  come.  Luke 
6:10. 


380  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  33.     For  whom  may  we  pray? 

A.     a.  For  ourselves.     Matt.  6:9-13; 

b.  For  our  fellowmen  of  all  classes  and  condi- 
tions, with  two  exceptions,  i  Tim.  2:1, 
2;  Eph.  1:16,  17;  3:14-17- 

Q.  34.     What  are  the  exceptions? 

A.  The  dead  and  such  as  may  have  committed  the 
unpardonable  sin. 

Q-  35-     Why  not  pray  for  the  dead? 

A.  a.  Because  nowhere  in  Scripture  are  we  told  to 
do  so; 

b.  Because  in  Scripture  there  is  no  instance  of 

prayer  for  the  dead.  Paul's  petition  in 
behalf  of  Onesiphorus  (2  Tim.  1:18) /'The 
Lord  grant  unto  him  that  he  may  find 
mercy  of  the  Lord  in  that  day,"  has  been 
adduced  as  an  instance  of  prayer  for  one 
dead.  But  there  is  no  evidence  that 
Onesiphorus  was  dead  when  the  apostle 
wrote  those  words ; 

c.  Because  the  state  of  the  dead  is  fixed  and  ir- 

reversible. Prov.  14:32;  Luke  16:26; 
Rev.  22:11 ; 

d.  If  prayer  for  the  dead  is  a  duty,  it  is  a  duty 

of  vast  importance,  and  surely  would  be 
clearly  inculcated  in  the  Scriptures.  But 
the  most  ardent  advocates  of  the  practice 
can  hardly  dare  to  say  that  it  is  clearly 
warranted  in  the  Bible. 
Q.  36.  Why  not  pray  for  one  who  has  committed 
the  unpardonable  sin? 

A.  Because  to  do  so  would  be  to  ask  God  to  do 
what  He  has  signified  He  will  not  do,  and  to  run  counter 
to  His  direction  in  i  John  5  :i6. 

Q.  37.  Is  prayer  meant  to  change  God's  plan,  or 
purpose? 

A.  No,  It  is  an  appointed  link  in  the  plan  of  God ; 
so  that  it  may  properly  be  said  that  had  this  link  been 
lacking,  the  issue  would  have  been  diflferent. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  381 

Q.  38.  Is  the  opinion  correct  that  the  office  of 
prayer  is  simply  subjective,  that  is,  to  act  merely  on  the 
petitioner  himself? 

A.  No.  Prayer,  indeed,  does  so  react;  but  it  does 
more,  else  it  would  be  radically  deceptive.  Elijah's 
prayer,  for  instance,  that  it  might  not  rain,  and,  again, 
that  it  might  rain,  received  an  outward  response,  first  in 
the  withholding  and  then  in  the  outpouring  of  rain. 

Q.  39.  Can  we  pray  aright  unless  prompted  and 
aided  by  the  Holy  Spirit? 

A.     No.     See  Rom.  8:26;  i  Cor.  12:3;  Eph.  2:18. 
Q.  40.     How  does  the  Spirit  intercede  for  us? 
A.    a.  Not  directly,  as  does  Christ,  our  mediatorial 
advocate ; 
h.  Not  in  heaven,  but  on  earth  where  we  are; 
c.  Indirectly,  through  us,  by  giving  us  a  sense 
of  our  need,  exciting  in  us  suitable   de- 
sires, and  producing  in  us  faith  whereby 
we  lay  hold  of  Christ  and  plead  for  the 
fulfilment  of  the  promises  which   are  in 
Him  "yea"  and  "amen."     Rom.  8:26,  27; 
Jude  V.  20. 
Q.  41.     What,    then,   is   the   genesis,   or   origin,   of 
every  true  prayer? 

A.  a.  Every  such  prayer  is  a  fruit  produced  in  the 
soul  by  the  Holy  Spirit; 
h.  The  gift  of  the  Spirit,  as  the  originator  and 
promoter  of  prayer  in  us,  is  a  fruit  of  the 
atoning  work  of  Christ.  John  15:26;  16: 
7;  Acts  5:31;  Tit.  3:5,  6; 
c.  This  atoning  work,  productive  of  such  results, 
is  the  fruit  of  God's  everlasting  and 
sovereign  purpose  of  grace  toward  men. 
Rom.  8:28-32;  Eph.  1:3-6. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Hos.  14:2;  Is.  55:6,  7;  John  16:23;  Matt.  4:10;  Rev. 
22:9;  Rom.  8:26;  Eph.  1:17;  2:18;  Col.  3:17;  2  Cor.  13: 
14;  I  John  5:14. 


382  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

QUESTION  XCIX. 

What  rule  hath  God  given  for  our  direction 
in  prayer? 

ANSWER. 

The  whole  Word  of  God  is  of  use  to  direct 
us  in  prayer,  but  the  special  rule  of  direction  is 
that  form  of  prayer  which  Christ  taught  His 
disciples,  commonly  called  The  Lord's  Prayer. 

Q.  I.  How  are  the  Scriptures  at  large  fitted  to  guide 
us  in  prayer? 

A.  They  are  fitted  to  serve  this  end  because  they 
reveal  to  us 

a.  The  true  and  only  proper  object  of  worship; 

b.  The  true  character  of  this  glorious  Being; 

c.  The  only  way  of  favorable  access  to  Him ; 

d.  The  nature  and  extent  of  our  needs ; 

e.  The   promises   of    God   as   a   guide    and    en- 

couragement in  prayer. 
Q.  2.     What  part  of  the  Word  is  particularly  adapt- 
ed to  afford  guidance  in  the  exercise  of  prayer? 

A.  That  which  is  commonly  called  "The  Lord's 
Prayer." 

Q.  3.     Where  is  this  found? 

A.     In  Matt.  6:9-13  and  less  fully  in  Luke  11:2-4. 
Q.  4.     Why  is  this  form  of  prayer  generally  called 
"The  Lord's  Prayer"? 

A.  Not  because  He  offered  it  in  prayer;  but  be- 
cause He  uttered  it  in  the  hearing  of  His  disciples  for 
their  guidance  in  prayer. 

Q.  5.  Point  out  some  particulars  in  which  this  so- 
called  "Lord's  Prayer"  was  unsuitable  for  use  by  Christ 
Himself. 

A.  a.  The  opening  words,  "Our  Father,"  may  be 
specified  as  in  point.  Never  elsewhere 
does  Christ  associate  any  one  with  Him- 
self in  the  relation  of  sonship  toward  the 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  383 

Divine  Father.  God,  that  is  to  say,  the 
first  person  of  the  Trinity,  was  His  Father 
in  a  unique  sense.  Carefully  is  this  dis- 
tinction indicated  by  our  Lord  Himself. 
See  Matt.  5:16,  45,  48;  6:1,  6,  8,  14,  15, 
18,  26,  32;  7:11,  21;  10:20,  29,  32,  33;  11: 
27;  12:50;  13:43;  18:10,  19,  35;  24:36; 
26:42,  53;  John  20:17. 
h.  The  fifth  petition,  "And  forgive  us  our  debts" 
or  "sins,"  could  not  have  been  used  by 
Christ  for  Himself.  He  had  no  sin  of  His 
own  to  confess,  and  the  sin  of  others 
which  was  imputed  to  Him  it  behoved 
Him  to  expiate.  The  cup  of  suffering 
could  not  pass  from  Him,  if  his  people 
were  to  escape  the  bitter  draught. 

Q.  6.  May  this  prayer  be  used  by  worshippers 
now? 

A.  Yes.  If  suitable  for  use  by  the  disciples  who 
received  it  from  the  lips  of  Christ,  it  is  suitable  for  our 
use. 

Q.  7.  Was  this  given  as  an  obligatory  form  of 
prayer? 

A.  No.  The  use  of  it  as  a  general  guide  is  impera- 
tive, but  its  use  as  a  rigid  form  is  optional. 

Q.  8.     How  may  these  two  points  be  established? 

A.  a.  In  Matt.  6  :g  our  Lord  is  represented  as  say- 
ing, "After  this  manner,  therefore,  pray 
ye,"  as  if  He  meant  what  followed  to  be 
a  model  and  guide,  rather  than  an  obliga- 
tory form : 
h.  In  Luke  11:2-4  we  have  substantially  the 
same  prayer,  yet  with  some  variation,  as 
if  to  show  that  it  was  intended  to  be  a 
suggestive  specimen,  rather  than  a  pre- 
scribed form,  of  prayer; 


384  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

c.  In  the  prayers  recorded  in  the  New  Testa- 

ment, as  ofifered  by  the  followers  of 
Christ  after  His  ascension,  the  so-called 
"Lord's  Prayer"  does  not  occur; 

d.  At  the  same  time,  the  right  to  use  in  suppli- 

cation the  very  words  of  this  prayer  can 

hardly  be  questioned. 
Q.  9.     May    not    the     frequent   reiteration   of   this 
prayer  in  the  Romish  and  Protestant  Episcopal  rituals 
have  produced  an  unconscious  recoil  from  it  on  the  part 
of  the  stricter  Protestants? 

A.     There  is  reason  to  think  so. 

Q.  10.  Mention  one  or  two  of  the  evils  resulting 
from  the  use  of  fixed  forms  of  prayer. 

A.  Such  use  tends  to  lifeless  formalism  and  the 
perpetuation  of  spiritual  childhood. 

Q.  II.  What  lessons  does  the  act  of  Christ  in  pro- 
viding for  us  a  model  prayer  suggest? 

A.  a.  Our  spiritual  impotence ;  for  we  know  neither 
what  to  ask  from  God,  nor  how  to  ask 
aright.    Rom.  8:26; 

b.  God's    amazing   condescension    and    bounty; 

c.  Our  culpability,  if  we  fail  to  ask.     God  has 

opened  His  treasury  to  us,  and  conde- 
scended to  teach  us  how  to  draw  from  it 
for  our  need. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Matt.  6:6;  7:11;  John  20:17;  Rom.  8:26,  27;  i  Pet. 
2:24, 


QUESTION  C. 


What  doth  the  preface  of  the  Lord's  Prayer 
teach  us? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  385 

ANSWER. 

The  preface  of  the  Lord's  Prayer,  which  is : 
"Our  Father  Who  art  in  heaven,"  teacheth  us  to 
draw  near  to  God  with  all  holy  reverence  and 
confidence,  as  children  to  a  father  able  and 
ready  to  help  us,  and  that  we  should  pray  with 
and  for  others. 

Q.  I.  Of  how  many  parts  does  the  Lord's  Prayer 
consist  ? 

A.  Of  three,  namely,  a  preface,  sundry  petitions, 
and  a  conclusion. 

Q.  2.     How  many  are  the  petitions  in  this  Prayer? 

A.  Six.  Some,  however,  maintain  that  there  are 
seven.  Those  who  do  so  claim  that  the  words,  "And  lead 
us  not  into  temptation,  but  deliver  us  from  evil,"  con- 
stitute two  petitions,  a  negative  and  a  positive. 

Q.  3.     How  much  is  included  in  the  preface? 

A.  The  opening  words  indicative  of  the  Being  ad- 
dressed, "Our  Father  Who  art  in  heaven." 

Q.  4.  Does  the  word  "Father"  here  denote  God 
essentially  considered,  that  is,  the  Trinity,  or  the  first 
person  of  the  Godhead  Whose  distinctive  name  is 
"Father"? 

A.  Most  probably  the  word  signifies  the  first 
person  of  the  Trinity,  that  person  of  the  Godhead  Whom 
Christ  called  His,  and  the,  "Father."  John  14:16,  17, 
26;  15  :26;  20:17. 

Q.  5.  In  what  respects  may  God  be  called  the 
Father  of  men? 

A.  a.  Because  He  created  men  in  His  likeness. 
Gen.  1:26,  27;  Num.  16:22;  Mai.  2:10; 
Acts  17:28. 
b.  In  certain  cases  He  has  favored  men  with  ex- 
ternal spiritual  privileges,  and  for  this 
reason  might  be  called  their  Father. 
Rom.  9:4;  2  Cor.  6:16-18; 


386  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

c.  Specially,  God  sustains  the  relation  of 
Father  to  those  who,  though  members  of 
our  fallen  race,  are  regenerated  and 
adopted  by  Him.  Rom.  8:14-17;  i  John 
3:1,  2. 

Q.  6.  What  feelings  on  the  part  of  the  suppliant 
does  the  use  of  this  word  indicate,  or  require? 

A.  The  feelings  of  reverence  and  reliance.  The  du- 
tiful child  reveres  its  father  and  confides  in  him.  Is.  63 : 
16;  Mai.  1:6;  Heb.  12:9. 

Q.  7.  What  is  suggested  by  the  word  "our"  in  this 
address? 

A.  The  propriety  and  obligation  of  praying  with 
and  for  others. 

Q.  8.  Is  it  a  great  privilege  to  be  permitted  to  pray 
for  others,  as  well  as  for  ourselves,  and  to  have  others 
pray  for  us? 

A.  Yes.  Rom.  14:30;  Col.  4:3;  i  Thess.  5:25;  i 
Tim.  2:1-4. 

Q.  9.  May  this  expression,  "Our  Father,"  be 
properly  used  in  secret,  as  well  as  in  social,  prayer? 

A.  Yes.  Although  unknown  to  each  other,  the 
children  of  God  throughout  the  world  meet  and  have 
fellowship  around  the  throne  of  grace.     Heb.  4:16. 

Q.  10.  What  is  the  force  of  the  clause,  "Who  art 
in  heaven"? 

A.     a.  It  serves   to   distinguish    God   from    a   mere 

father  according  to  the  flesh.     Heb.  12:9; 

b..  It  is  expressive  of  our  sense  of  the  majesty 

and  glory  of  Him  to  Whom  we  appeal. 

Q.  II.     In  what  sense  may  it  be  said  that  God  is  "in 

heaven"? 

A.     a.  Not  as  bounded  by  it  as  to  His  essence.     2 
Chron,  6:18; 
h.  As   therein   peculiarly   displaying  His  glory. 
Ps.  11:4;  27:4,  5. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Ps.  27:4,  5;  Mai.  1:6;  John  14:16,  17,  26;  15:26;  20: 
17;  Rom.  8:14-17;  I  Tim.  2:1-4;  Heb.  4:16;  12:9. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  387 

QUESTION  CI. 
What  do  we  pray  for  in  the  first  petition? 

ANSWER. 

In  the  first  petition,  which  is :  "Hallowed  be 
Thy  name,"  we  pray  that  God  would  enable  us 
and  others  to  glorify  Him  in  all  that  whereby 
He  maketh  Himself  known,  and  that  He  would 
dispose  all  things  to  His  own  glory. 

Q.  I.  What  resemblance  in  structure  is  there  be- 
tween the  Decalogue  and  the  Lord's  Prayer? 

A.     a.  In  both  the  honor  of  God  and  the  interests 
of  man  are  contemplated; 
b.  In  both  the  honor  due  to  God  has  precedence. 

Q.  2.     What  is  meant  by  the  "name"  of  God? 

A.  It  denotes  His  manifested  being,  or  Himself  as 
revealed.     Ex.  34:5-7;  Is.  42:8;  Ps.  116:4;  103:1. 

Q.  3.     What  is  it  to  "hallow"  the  name  of  God? 

A.  It  is  to  regard  and  treat  it  (that  is,  Himself) 
with  all  reverence  and  honor.  Lev.  10:3;  Ps.  135:1;  i 
Peter  3:15. 

Q.  4.  In  asking  God  that  His  name  be  hallowed, 
what  is  implied? 

A.  That  He,  and  only  He,  can  so  control  men  and 
angels  that  they  shall  render  to  Him  the  proper  tribute 
of  obedience,  reverence,  and  praise. 

Q.  5.  How  is  the  spirit  of  this  petition  practically 
repudiated  ? 

A.  By  failure  on  the  part  of  any  to  honor  God  in 
His  laws  and  providential  dispensations,  especially  in 
that  provision  which  He  has  made  for  the  salvation  of 
men. 

Q.  6.  Mention  some  of  the  more  direct  violations  of 
the  spirit  of  this  petition,  or  some  things  incongruous 
with  it. 

A.  Profane  swearing;  false  swearing;  a  hypocritic- 
al profession  of  religion;  levity  in  worship;  an  irrever- 


388  ^A^  EXPOSITION  OF 

ent  or  unmeaning  use  of  God's  names  even  in  prayer 
and  fabricated  choruses,  or  repetitions,  in  the  singing  of 
Psalms.     Ex.  20:7;  Eccl.  5:1,  2;  Matt.  6:7. 

Q.  7.  How  should  we  desire  God  to  dispose  all 
things? 

A.  To  His  own  glory  supremely.  John  12:28;  17: 
i;  Rom.  11:36;  I  Cor.  10:31. 

Q.  8.     What  confession  is  implied  in  this  petition? 

A.     Our  inability  to  glorify  God  as  we  ought. 

Q.  9.  Can  anyone  who  is  rejecting  Christ  offer  this 
petition  sincerely? 

A.     No.    See  I  John  3:23,24;  5:10;  John  5:38;  15:23. 

Q.  ID.  How  has  God  provided  for  the  hallowing  of 
His  name  in  the  exercises  of  worship? 

A.  a.  He  has  Himself  instituted  the  modes  of  wor- 
ship to  be  observed  by  men.  Deut.  12: 
32;  Matt.  28:20; 

b.  He  demands  reverence  in  the  observance  of 

them.     Ps.  89:7; 

c.  He  has  signally  punished  deviations  from  the 

prescribed  forms  of  worship.     Lev.  10:1- 
3;  2  Kings  17:15-18;  2  Chron.  26:16-21; 

d.  He   ofifers   us   help   to   worship   Him    aright. 

Ps.  40:1-3;  Rom.  8:26. 
Q.  II.     Did  Christ  Himself  offer  this  petition? 
A.     Yes.     See  John  12:28;  17:2. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Ex.  34:5-7;  Ps.  103:1;  Eccl.  5:1,  2;  Is.  42:8;  Matt. 
6:7;  John  12:28;  15:23;  I  John  5:10. 


QUESTION  Cn. 

What  do  we  pray  for  in  the  second  peti- 
tion? 

ANSWER. 

In    the    second    petition,    which    is:    "Thy 
kingdom  come,"  we  pray  that  Satan's  kingdom 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  389 

may  be  destroyed,  and  that  the  kingdom  of 
grace  may  be  advanced,  ourselves  and  others 
brought  into  it,  and  kept  in  it,  and  that  the 
kingdom  of  glory  may  be  hastened. 

Q.  I.  What  is  meant  by  the  expression,  "the  King- 
dom of  God,"  in  its  widest  sense? 

A.     His  universal  dominion.     Ps.  103:19;  Is.  45:12; 

48:13. 

Q.  2.     Can  His  Kingdom  in  this  sense  "come"? 

A.     No.     In  this  sense  it  has  come,  and  continues. 

Q.  3.  Within  the  bounds  of  this  universal  kingdom 
is  there  a  counter-kingdom  set  up? 

A.  Yes;  there  is  a  kingdom  of  revolt  of  which 
Satan,  the  prince  of  the  fallen  angels,  is  the  head.  See 
Matt.  12:26;  John  12:31;  16:11;  Eph.  2:2;  i  John  5:18, 
19;  Eph.  6:11,  12. 

Q.  4.     Who  belong  to  this  rebel  kingdom? 

A.  Fallen  angels  and  wicked  men.  John  8:44;  2 
Pet.  2:4;  Jude  V.  6;  Matt.  25:41;  Eph.  2:2. 

Q.  5.  Why  has  this  rebel  kingdom  been  permitted 
to  arise? 

A.  This  is  virtually  the  question,  "Why  has  sin 
been  permitted"?  To  this  we  can  only  answer,  "for  the 
glory  of  God."  In  part,  but  only  in  part,  can  we  now 
see  how  the  existence  of  sin  is  made  subservient  to  the 
manifestation  of  God's  excellence  as  a  Being  infinitely 
holy,  just,  and  good;  and  seeing  so  much  even  in  present 
darkness,  we  may  hope  for  fuller  vision  in  the  great 
clearing  up  that  is  to  come. 

.    Q.  6.     Are  the  repression  and  utter  overthrow  of  the 
Satanic  sway  in  this  world  sought  in  this  petition? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  7.  Are  we  authorized  to  pray  for  the  restoration 
of  the  fallen  angels  to  favor  and  fellowship  with  God? 

A.  No.  We  should  desire  that  God  would  main- 
tain unceasing  control  of  those  evil  spirits  and  make 
them  subserve  His  holy  ends. 


390  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  8.  Why  not  intercede  with  Him  for  their  res- 
toration? 

A.     a.  We  have  no  command  to  be  thus  comprehen- 
sive in  intercession ; 

b.  We  have  no  promise  to  warrant  the  hope  of 

such    a    result   and   form   the   ground   of 
faith  in  praying  for  it; 

c.  So  far  from  a  promise  of  such  an  issue,  we 

have  intimation  that  Satan  and  his  angels 
are  doomed  to  endless  misery.     Matt.  25 : 
41 ;  Rev.  20:10. 
Q.  9.     Are  we  warranted  to  pray  for  the  salvation 
even  of  all  men? 

A.  No;  for  God  has  plainly  signified  that  all  men 
shall  not  be  saved.  Ps.  1:5,  6;  11:6;  37:38;  Dan.  12:2; 
Matt.  25 :4i.  Many  have  already  passed  into  another 
world  to  meet  an  irrevocable  doom.     Prov.  14:32. 

Q.  ID.  What,  then,  is  meant  by  the  words  address- 
ed by  Paul  to  Timothy,  "I  exhort,  therefore,  first  of  all, 
that  supplications,  prayers,  intercessions,  and  giving  of 
thanks  be  made  for  all  men"  (i  Tim.  2:1)? 

A.     a.  This    exhortation   must  be   understood    in   a 
limited  sense,   in  view  of  the   reason   as- 
signed   in    the    following    verse,    namely, 
"that  we  may  lead  a  quiet  and  peaceable 
life" ; 
b.  The   same   interpretation    is   favored   by   the 
specification  given  in  the  next  verse,  "for 
kings    and    all    that    are    in    authority." 
Plainly   the    tenor   of   the    exhortation    is 
that  for  the  different  ranks   and   classes 
into     which     society     is     divided     prayer 
should  be  made. 
Q.  II.     May  we  pray  unconditionally  for  the  salva- 
tion of  particular  men  who  seem  unconverted? 

A.  No.  The  prayer  for  such  should  be  conditioned 
by  a  regard  to  the  sovereign  and  secret  will  of  God. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  391 

Q.  12.  May  a  man  pray  unreservedly  for  his  own 
salvation? 

A.  Yes.  It  is  his  privilege  and  duty  to  take  Christ 
at  once  to  be  his  Saviour,  and  to  ask  salvation  in  His 
name.  Ps.  25:11;  Matt.  11:28;  Luke  18:13;  Acts  2:38, 
39 ;  8 :22. 

Q.  13.  Are  we  authorized  to  pray  that  our  sancti- 
fication  should  be  instcintly  perfected? 

A.  No.  We  may,  and  should,  ask  increase  of  sanc- 
tification  now,  but  perfect  sanctification  only  in  God's 
time,  that  is,  the  hour  of  death. 

Q.  14.  May  it  not  be  for  the  glory  of  God  that  the 
completion  of  our  sanctification,  that  is,  of  the  process  by 
which  we  are  perfected  in  holiness,  should  be  protracted? 

A.  Yes.  God  may  thus  teach  us  experimentally  the 
malignity  of  sin,  the  evil  of  our  own  hearts,  our  inability 
to  cope  with  the  powers  of  darkness.  His  patience  with 
us,  and  the  unchangeableness  of  His  love;  while,  in  our 
deliverance.  He  covers  our  foes  with  greater  disgrace  to 
whose  assaults  we  may  have  been  for  long  years  exposed. 
I  Pet.  1:5;  Luke  22:31,  32. 

Q.  15.     What  is  meant  by  "the  kingdom  of  grace"? 

A.  The  sphere  in  which  the  Spirit  of  God  operates 
among  men  in  this  world  in  the  way  of  renewing  and 
purifying  them.     Luke  17:21;  Rom.  8:13-15;  14:17. 

Q.  16.  In  what  two  respects  may  this  kingdom  be 
advanced? 

A.  Intensively  and  extensively,  that  is,  in  the  grow- 
ing holiness  of  those  who  are  converted,  and  in  the  con- 
version of  sinners. 

Q.  17.  Does  the  former  of  these  conditions  tend  to 
produce  the  latter? 

A.  Yes;  when  the  people  of  God  are  revived,  the 
world  is  likely,  as  a  consequence,  to  be  impressed  and 
made  to  feel  that  the  Christian  faith  is  not  a  fable.  Acts 
2:47;  9:31;  11:21. 


392  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  1 8.  Is  it  not  the  duty  of  all  who  offer  this  peti- 
tion to  use  all  appointed  means  for  promoting  their  own 
growth  in  grace  and  the  spiritual  well-being  of  others? 

A.  Yes.  Ps.  67:1,  2;  100:1,  2;  Matt.  9:38;  i  John 
4:20;  Rev.  22:17. 

Q.  19.  Is  there  ground  to  expect  a  great  enlarge- 
ment of  this  kingdom  in  the  world? 

A.  Yes.  See  Ps.  22:27;  67:7;  102:13-15;  Is.  6:3,  4; 
Luke  2:10. 

Q.  20.  What  is  meant  by  "the  kingdom  of  glory"? 
A.  That  state  of  heavenly  purity  and  bliss  in  which 
redeemed  men  and  the  holy  angels  shall  enjoy  full  and 
endless  fellowship  with  God  and  with  one  another.  Ps. 
23:6;  31  :i9;  Matt.  8:11 ;  John  14:2,  3;  17:24;  i  Thess.  4: 
17;  Heb.  12:22-24;  Rev.  7:9-17. 

Q.  21.  How  can  we  properly  ask  God  to  "hasten" 
this  kingdom? 

A.  a.  Not  as  venturing  to  dictate  to  Him  either  the 
date  of  our  death,  or  the  date  of  the  wind- 
ing up  of  the  affairs  of  this  world.  Acts 
1:7; 
h.  But  as  expressing  our  earnest,  though  sub- 
missive, longing  for  the  time  when,  with 
all  the  saints,  we  may  enter  into  our  ever- 
lasting inheritance  of  spotless  holiness 
and  cloudless  joy.  Ps.  y2)  '^4->  25  ;  Phil,  i : 
23,  24;  I  Peter  4:13;  5:10;  2  Cor.  4:17, 
18;  5:4. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Ps.  31:19;  103:19;  Matt.  12:26;  Luke  14:17;  17:21; 
Matt.  25:41,  46;  John  12:31;  Eph.  2:2;  6:11,  12;  i  John 
4:20;  5:18,  19;  Rev.  20:10. 


QUESTION  CIIL 
What  do  we  pray  for  in  the  third  petition? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  393 

ANSWER. 

In  the  third  petition,  which  is :  "Thy  will  be 
done  on  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven,"  we  pray  that 
God  by  His  grace  would  make  us  able  and  will- 
ing to  know,  obey,  and  submit  to  His  will  in  all 
things,  as  the  angels  do  in  heaven. 

Q.  1.     Point  out  some  distinctions  which   may   be 
made  as  to  the  will  of  God. 

A.  a.  His  decretive  will.  This  denotes  His  pur- 
pose, and  includes  all  events  past,  pres- 
ent, or  future.  It  is  often  called  His 
"secret"  will,  but  not  with  logical  exact- 
ness ;  for  much  of  it  has  been  revealed. 
h.  His  preceptive  will,  which  embraces  all  the 
commands  given  by  God  to  His  crea- 
tures, either  in  their  moral  constitution  or 
in  His  Word.  This  is  often,  but  not  with 
entire  accuracy,  styled  His  "revealed" 
will. 

Q.  2.  Toward  the  decretive  will  of  God  what 
should  be  our  attitude? 

A.     a.  We  should  acquiesce  in  it,  however  mysteri- 
ous to  us ; 

b.  We   should   revere   it  as   a   manifestation  of 

God's  plan ; 

c.  We  should  submit  to  it  implicitly,  however 

trying  it  may  be  to  us.     Ps.  39:9;  73:16, 

17;   Matt.   11:26;  26:39,  42;  Acts  21:14; 

Heb.  12:9-11;  I  Peter  4:19. 

Q.  3.     Do  even  the  holy  angels  need  to  exercise  a 

spirit  not  of  sullen,  but  of  reverent,  submission  to  the 

decretive  will  of  God? 

A.  Yes.  God's  ways  may  be  even  to  them  mysteri- 
ous and  unaccountable,  yet  in  profound  humility  they 
cry,  "Holy,  Holy,  Holy  is  the  Lord  of  Hosts."  Is.  6:3; 
I  Peter  i  :i2. 


394  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  4,  Is  it  the  preceptive  will  of  God  that  is  par- 
ticularly meant  in  this  petition? 

A.  Yes ;  with  that  as  the  rule  of  our  duty  we  have 
especially  to  do.     Deut.  29:29;  Micah  6:8;  Matt.  19:17. 

Q.  5,  Touching  the  will  of  God  in  this  aspect  what 
desires  are  embodied  in  this  petition? 

A.  That  we  may  know  and  obey  it,  even  as  it  is 
known  and  obeyed  by  the  inhabitants  of  heaven. 

Q.  6.  How  is  the  preceptive  will  of  God  known  and 
obeyed  in  heaven? 

A.  Fully,  both  as  to  matter,  motive,  and  manner. 
In  other  words,  His  will  is  known  by  holy  angels  and 
the  "spirits  of  the  just  made  perfect"  universally,  and 
obeyed  by  them  heartily,  constantly,  implicitly,  and  im- 
partially. Ps.  103:20,  21;  Dan.  9:21,  23;  Matt.  24:31; 
Heb.  1:14;  Rev.  7:15;  22:3-5. 

Q.  7.  What  does  a  regard  to  consistency  require  of 
all  who  address  this  petition  to  God? 

A.  a.  That  they  recognize  God  as  holy  and  just 
and  wise,  even  when  His  ways  are  inex- 
plicable; 

b.  That  they  submit  patiently  when  themselves 

subjected  to  severe  trials ; 

c.  That  they  labor   to  know  what   God  would 

have  them  to  do  in  all  their  relations; 

d.  That  they  earnestly  seek  to  win  their  fellow- 

men  to  the  service  of  God,  and  so  make 
earth  like  heaven. 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO  MEMORY. 

Ps.  73:16,  17;  Deut.  29:29;  Micah  6:8;  Heb.  12:9- 
II ;  I  Peter  i  :i2;  4:19. 


QUESTION  CIV. 

What  do  we  pray  for  in  the  fourth  petition? 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  395 

ANSWER. 

In  the  fourth  petition,  which  is:  "Give  us 
this  day  our  daily  bread,"  we  pray  that  of  God's 
free  gift  we  may  receive  a  competent  portion  of 
the  good  things  of  this  Hfe,  and  enjoy  His  bless- 
ing with  them. 

Q,  I.  What  does  the  word  "bread"  stand  for  in  this 
petition? 

A.  All  that  which  is  requisite  for  the  support  and 
comfort  of  our  bodies,  or  of  our  physical  being.  Matt. 
6:32;  I  Tim.  6:8. 

Q.  2.  Are  the  appetite  and  need  for  material  food 
on  the  part  of  man  effects  of  sin? 

A.  No.  They  characterized  man  as  he  was  created, 
and  were  used  by  the  Tempter  as  means  of  seducing  him 
into  disobedience.     Gen.  3  :6. 

Q.  3.     Did  the  craving  for  food  survive  the  fall? 

A.  Yes  (Gen.  3:18,  19),  and  it  is  still  largely  used 
by  the  enemy  of  souls  as  a  medium  for  the  ruin  of  men. 
Ezek.  16:49;  Luke  12:45,  4^;  17:27;  Phil.  4:19;  i  Peter 

4:3- 

Q.  4.  Does  the  renewal  of  man  by  grace  abolish 
the  natural  appetite  for  food  and  drink? 

A.  No ;  but  it  brings  it  under  proper  control,  and 
makes  it  subservient  to  the  true  end  of  our  being.  Matt. 
4:4;  6:31,  32;  I  Cor.  10:31. 

Q.  5.     Is  it  a  part  of  our  duty  to  care  for  our  bodies? 

A.  Yes.  We  owe  our  existence,  inclusive  of  the 
body,  to  God,  and  must  account  to  Him  for  our  treat- 
ment'of  the  body.  Mark  8:2,  3;  John  21:12,  13;  Eph.  5: 
28;  Rom.  12:1;  I  Thess,  5:23, 

Q.  6.  Is  there  not  a  warning  uttered  by  Christ 
against  taking  thought  for  the  body  (Matt.  6:31)? 

A.  Not  properly  against  thought;  but  against  un- 
due, or  anxious,  thought,  involving  distrust  of  God.  Phil. 
4:6. 


396  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  7.  Is  fallen  man  entitled  to  temporal  blessings, 
such  as  food  and  raiment? 

A.  No.  He  has  forfeited  all  right  to  these  as  bless- 
ings. He  has  forfeited  not  his  being  and  his  conscious 
being,  for  retributive  justice  demands  the  perpetuity  of 
these,  but  his  well-being,  inclusive  of  all  the  comfort  de- 
rivable from  benefits,  such  as  food.  In  his  fallen  state 
man  is  like  a  criminal  under  doom  of  death,  who,  till  the 
day  of  execution  arrives,  receives  prison  fare. 

Q.  8.  When  does  a  man  acquire  a  title  to  food  and 
other  forms  of  temporal  good  as  blessings? 

A.  Only  when  he  is  brought  into  saving  union  with 
Christ.  Ps.  37:16,  17;  73:1,  2y,  28;  Matt.  6:32,  33;  i  Cor. 
3:21,  22. 

Q.  9.  Yet  is  even  a  true  believer  warranted  to  pray 
unconditionally  for  temporal  good? 

A.  No ;  he  should  limit  his  requests  to  such  things, 
and  so  much  of  them,  as  God  in  His  wisdom  may 
count  proper  for  him ;  nor  should  he  be  satisfied  were 
all  outward  blessings  bestowed  on  him,  unless  accom- 
panied with  an  inward  and  spiritual  blessing.  Prov.  30: 
8,  9;  11:4;  Heb.  13:5. 

Q.  ID.  May  temporal  good  things  prove  through 
our  abuse,  or  misuse,  of  them  a  curse  rather  than  a  bless- 
ing? 

A.     Yes.     Ps.  37:16;  69:22;  73:5-9;  Ezek.  16:49,  50- 

Q.  II.  What  suggestions  are  involved  in  the  words 
"this  day"? 

A.     a.  That  each  day  we  should  remember  our  de- 
pendence on  God; 
h.  That  we  should  not  be  burdened  with  con- 
cern   about    our    support    in    the    remote 
future. 

Q.  12.  Yet,  does  the  spirit  of  this  petition  conflict 
Avith  the  use  of  efforts  to  procure  a  competent  support 
for  ourselves  and  for  those  dependent  on  us? 

A.  No.  Rom.  12:11;  Eph.  4:28;  2  Thess.  3:8,  10- 
12;  I  Tim.  5:8. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  397 

Q.  13.  Can  this  petition  be  fitly  used  by  one  who 
has  already  accumulated  a  large  stock  of  goods  for  future 
use? 

A.  Yes.  It  behooves  us  to  cherish  a  sense  of  our 
dependence  on  God  for  the  preservation  of  our  acquired 
store,  and  for  His  blessing  on  the  use  of  it,  if  preserved. 

Q.  14.  Is  not  the  insertion  of  this  petition  in  the 
"model  prayer"  a  strong  encouragement  to  us  to  look  to 
God  for  suitable  support,  even  though  want  may  stare 
us  in  the  face? 

A.  Yes.  Hab.  3:17,  18;  Matt.  6:31-33;  7:11;  Phil. 
4:6,  19. 

Q.  15.  Is  it  not  becoming  that  at  our  daily  meals 
we  should  render  thanks  to  God  for  His  goodness  and 
ask  that  His  enriching  blessing  may  accompany  His  out- 
ward gifts? 

A.     Yes.     Ps.  103:2-5;  145:15,  16;  John  6:11;  Acts 

27:35- 

TEXTS  TO  BE  COMMITTED  TO   MEMORY. 

Ps.  37:16,  17;  Matt.  4:4;  Luke  12:45,  4^1  Rom.  12:1 ; 
Eph.  5:28;  I  Thess.  5:23;  Phil.  4:6,  19;  i  Cor.  3:21,  22. 


QUESTION  CV. 
What  do  we  pray  for  in  the  fifth  petition? 

ANSWER. 

In  the  fifth  petition,  which  is :  "And  forgive 
us  our  debts,  as  we  forgive  our  debtors,"  we 
pray  that  God  for  Christ's  sake  would  freely 
pardon  all  our  sins ;  which  we  are  the  rather  en- 
couraged to  ask  because  by  His  grace  we  are  en- 
abled from  the  heart  to  forgive  others. 

Q.  I.     What  is  meant  here  by  "debts"? 

A.     Sins,  or  trespasses.     In  Luke  11:4  the  petition 
is,  "Forgive  us  our  sins." 


398  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

Q.  2.  Is  obedience  to  His  precepts  a  debt  which 
we  owe  to  God? 

A.  Yes,  and,  moreover,  a  debt,  or  obligation,  from 
which  we  never  can  be  freed. 

Q.  3.  Yet  is  not  one  to  whom  the  righteousness  of 
Christ  has  been  imputed,  or  reckoned,  freed  from  this  ob- 
ligation? 

A.  No ;  such  a  one  is  delivered  from  the  necessity 
of  keeping  the  law  as  a  covenant,  that  is,  as  a  ground  of 
acceptance  with  God;  but  not  from  it  as  a  rule  of  life. 
On  the  contrary,  the  obligation  to  love  and  obey  God  as 
a  rule  of  life  is  increased  by  our  deliverance  from  the  law 
as  a  covenant.     Luke  7:41-43;  Rom.  3:31;  6:14;  y:6. 

Q.  4.  What  similarity  is  there  between  sin  and  a 
pecuniary  (or  money)  debt? 

A.  Each  binds  to  payment;  in  the  case  of  a  money 
loan  to  repayment  of  the  loan,  in  the  case  of  sin  to  en- 
durance of  the  penalty  annexed.    Rom.  6:23. 

Q.  5.  Wherein  do  a  money  debt  and  a  sin  differ 
from  each  other? 

A.  The  former  may  be  cancelled  in  a  sovereign 
way  without  any  equivalent,  or  consideration ;  whereas 
the  latter  can  be  remitted  only  on  the  basis  of  satisfac- 
tion to  law  and  justice.  "The  wages  of  sin  is  death." 
Rom.  6:23. 

Q.  6,  But  may  not  men  forgive  offenses,  or  wrongs, 
done  them,  without  receiving  any  compensation  or  satis- 
faction from  the  transgressor? 

A.  They  not  only  may,  but  should,  in  their  hearts 
forgive  those  who  trespass  against  them,  and  this  even 
when  the  prosecution  of  the  offenders  may  be  deemed  a 
duty. 

Q.  7.  Why,  then,  may  not  God  pardon  sinners 
without  any  satisfaction? 

A.  a.  Because  as  a  just  Being  and  Governor  He 
must  give  to  every  one  his  due,  and  sin 
earns  death  as  its  wages,  or  penalty. 
Rom.  6:23;  Ps.  5:4-6;  11:5-7; 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  399 

&,.  Because    the    highest    interests    of    created 
moral  agents  require  the  maintenance  of 
righteous  laws. 
Q.  8.     How  can  God  be  said  to  pardon  sins,  if  He 
requires  and  receives  full  satisfaction  for  them? 

A.  The  satisfaction  which  He  requires  He  Himself 
provides,  nay  He  Himself  renders.  In  pursuance  of  the 
everlasting  counsel  the  Son  of  God,  by  the  assumption 
of  our  nature  and  obedience  therein  even  unto  death, 
redeemed  from  the  curse  of  the  law  those  given  to  Him, 
and  procured  for  them  full  salvation.  Thus  the  chief 
of  sinners  may  be  forgiven,  while  justice  is  satisfied  and 
law  magnified.  Rom.  3:24-26,  31;  2  Cor.  5:21;  Gal.  3: 
13 ;  I  Peter  2 :24. 

Q.  9.  Is  express  mention  made  in  this  prayer  of  this 
mediation  and  satisfaction? 

A.  No;  but  in  our  Lord's  general  teaching,  which 
formed  the  background  of  this  prayer,  His  disciples  had 
the  means  of  knowing,  as  we  have,  that  only  on  the 
ground  of  His  atoning  work  can  sin  be  forgiven.  Matt. 
20:28;  John  3:16;  10:11;  12:32,  33. 

Q.  10.  What  connection  in  thought  is  there  be- 
tween the  two  parts  of  this  petition? 

A.     a.  Not  a  connection  of  merit,  as  if  it  were  meant 
that  our  forgiveness  of  injuries  done  us 
by  our  fellowmen  entitles  us  to  the  for- 
giveness of  our  sins  by  God ; 
h.  But  a  connection  of  evidence,  as    if    it    were 
said,  "Our  ability  and  disposition  to  for- 
give come  from  Thee,  and  are  a  token  of 
Thy   character.     If  we,  being  evil,   can, 
and  do,  forgive  our  enemies,  how  much 
more  can  and  will  He  Who  works  in  us 
this     disposition     forgive     us     our     tres- 
passes?" 
Q.  II.     Is  this  prayer  framed  to  express  the  long- 
ings and  hopes  of  the  friends,  not  of  the  foes,  of  God? 


400  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

A.  Yes ;  it  opens  with  the  trustful  and  affectionate 
address,  "Our  Father,"  and  is  strictly  suitable  in  the  case 
only  of  those  who  have  a  filial  relation  and  feeling  God- 
ward. 

Q.  12.  Yet  may  not  an  unconverted  man  offer  this 
prayer  ? 

A.  He  may;  but  in  the  very  act  of  offering  it,  he 
should  seek  to  enter  into  its  spirit,  laying  claim  to  God 
as  his  Father  in  Jesus  Christ.     Acts  8:21-23. 

Q.  13.  Are  not  all  who  use  this  prayer  in  the  real 
spirit  of  it  already  forgiven? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.  14.  Why  then  should  they  pray  God  to  forgive 
their  debts,  or  sins? 

A.  a.  They  need  to  keep  in  mind  habitually  that 
they  are  dependent  on  the  pardoning 
mercy  of  God; 

b.  A  vivid  sense  of  their  justification  is   most 

desirable  both  for  their  comfort  and  their 
usefulness; 

c.  Even  although  pardoned  and  taken  into  the 

family  of  God,  they  go  astray  and  stand 
in  need  of  fatherly  forgiveness,  so  that 
chastisement  may  not  be  inflicted,  or,  if 
inflicted,  may  prove  salutary.  Ps.  89 :30- 
34;  119:67,  71;  Heb.  12:7-11. 
Q.  15.  What  is  implied,  or  indirectly  alleged,  in 
this  petition? 

A.  That  they  who  offer  it  are  of  a  forgiving  dis- 
position. 

Q.  16.  Would  not  this  petition,  if  presented  by  a 
person  of  an  unforgiving  spirit,  amount  to  an  impreca- 
tion of  evil  upon  the  petitioner? 

A.  Yes ;  the  import  of  the  petition  in  such  a  case 
would  be  that  God  would  be  vindictive  toward  the  sup- 
pliant, even  as  the  latter  is  toward  his  fellowmen.  This 
would  be  to  ask  malediction  rather  than  benediction. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  401 

Q.  17.  Could  this  petition  be  used  consistently  by 
one  who  felt  that  he  had  attained  to  a  state  of  sinless  per- 
fection ? 

A.  No ;  and  some,  fancying  that  they  had  reached 
such  a  degree  of  sanctity,  have  demurred  to  the  use  of 
it.  But  our  Lord  clearly  meant  that  this  prayer  in  all 
its  parts  was  a  fit  model  of  prayer  for  all  His  followers. 

TEXTS   TO   BE   COMMITTED   TO    MEMORY. 

Ps.  5:4-6;  89:30-34;  Acts  8:21-23;  Rom.  3:24-26;  6: 
23;  2  Cor.  5:21;  I  Peter  2:24;  Heb,  12:7-11. 


QUESTION  CVI. 
What  do  we  pray  for  in  the  sixth  petition? 

ANSWER. 

In  the  sixth  petition,  which  is:  "And  lead 
us  not  into  temptation,  but  deliver  us  from  evil," 
we  pray  that  God  would  either  keep  us  from 
being  tempted  to  sin,  or  support  and  deliver  us 
when  we  are  tempted. 

Q.  I.  Are  there  any  who  contend  that  two  petitions 
are  embraced  in  these  words? 

A.  Yes.  This  view  was  held,  for  instance,  by  the 
great  theologian,  Augustine  (354-430),  and  by  the  great 
German  Reformer,  Luther  (1483-1546),  not  to  mention 
others.  The  "Reformed  Churches"  generally,  however, 
have  regarded  the  two  clauses  as  presenting  one  petition 
in  different  aspects. 

Q.  2.  In  what  two  senses  is  the  word  "temptation" 
used  in  Scripture? 

A.  a.  In  the  sense  of  trial,  or  test.  Jas.  i  .2.  See 
Gen.  22:1,  where  the  verb  "tempt"  is 
used  in  this  sense. 


402  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

b.  In  the  sense  of  an  inducement,  or  incitement, 
to  sin.  Jas.  i  :i3,  14.  So  the  great  se- 
ducer to  sin,  Satan,  is  styled  emphatical- 
ly "the  Tempter."     Matt.  4 :3. 

Q.  3.  In  this  petition,  how  is  the  word  "tempta- 
tion" to  be  understood? 

A.  As  a  condition  of  allurement,  or  enticement,  to 
sin. 

Q.  4.  Is  it  proper  to  ask  for  exemption  or  deliver- 
ance from  temptation  in  the  sense  of  tribulation? 

A.  Yes ;  but  submissively,  or  conditionally,  seeing 
that  these  trials,  undesirable  in  themselves,  may  be 
through  the  grace  of  God  salutary  in  their  eflfects.  Ps. 
119:67,  71;  Rom.  5:3;  2  Cor.  4:17;  Heb.  12:5-11;  Jas.  i: 
2;  I  Peter  3:14;  4:13;  Rev.  3:19. 

Q.  5.     When  is  tribulation  thus  beneficial? 

A.  When  the  sufferer  is  enabled  to  see  the  hand  of 
God  in  it;  to  feel  more  keenly  the  fact  and  malignity  of 
his  sin;  to  seek  through  Christ  deliverance  from  sin, 
the  root  of  sorrow;  and  to  yearn  for  heaven,  where  sin 
and  sorrow  shall  not  enter. 

Q.  6.  May  we  unconditionally  ask  for  exemption 
from  temptation  to  sin? 

A.  No;  for  it  may  be  for  the  glory  of  God  and 
our  own  good  that  we  should  be  tried  in  this  way.  Matt. 
4:1 ;  2  Cor.  12:7-9. 

Q.  7.  Is  it  our  privilege  and  duty,  however,  to  pray 
that  the  allurement  to  sin  may  not  succeed  with  us? 

A.  Yes ;  sin  is  ever  to  be  hated  and  shunned.  Ps. 
4:4;  17:5;  19:12,  13;  51:2;  Jer.  44:4;  Heb.  12:14;  13:20, 
21. 

Q.  8.  In  what  respects  may  God  be  said  to  lead 
any  one  into  temptation  to  sin? 

A.  a.  God  cannot  thus  tempt  by  infusing  intO'  any 
one  an  evil  disposition,  or  soliciting  to 
sin.    Jas.  1:13,  14; 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  403 

b.  He    may,    however,    place    men    in    circum- 

stances which  will  incite  to  activity,  and 
so  reveal,  the  sinful  tendencies  which 
lurk  within  them.  Thus  it  was  in  the 
case  of  Pharaoh; 

c.  In  punishment  for  their  sins  God  may  with- 

draw from  men  salutary  restraints,  so 
that  they  shall  "find  their  own  ways" 
and  manifest  their  unholy  inclinations. 
Yet  in  all  these  cases  God  is  most  pure 
and  just. 

Q.  9.  What  ends  may  God  have  in  view  in  expos- 
ing His  people  to  temptations  to  sin? 

A.     a.  He  may  thus  chastise  them  for  carelessness; 

b.  He  may  thus  teach  them  their  weakness  and 

stir  them  up  to  pray  for  help.  2  Cor. 
12:8; 

c.  He  may  in  this  way  increase  their  desire  for 

heaven; 

d.  He  may  thus  qualify  some   to  give   helpful 

admonition  and  counsel  to  others.  Luke 
22:31,  32. 

Q.  ID.  What  deportment  becomes  one  who  uses 
this  petition? 

A.  He  should  carefully  shun  places  and  conditions 
which  are  found,  or  are  believed,  to  be  ensnaring  and 
morally  dangerous;  such  as  the  theatre,  the  bar-room, 
the  ball-room,  and  ungodly  society  and  practices  in  gen- 
eral.    Ps.  119:37,  loi,  158;  Prov.  4:26,  27. 

Q.  II.  Yet  are  the  people  of  God  required  for  their 
own  safety  to  retire  from  the  world  to  deserts  or  monas- 
teries? 

A.  No.  They  are  to  be  lights  in  the  world  and 
the  salt  of  society.  In  order  to  be  so,  they  must  not  be 
conformed  to  the  world  in  any  of  its  sinful  ways,  but 
be  a  rebuke  to  its  unholiness  and  an  agency  for  win- 
ning it  to  "the  obedience  of  faith." 


404  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

TEXTS   TO  BE   COMMITTED   TO    MEMORY. 

Jas.  1:13,  14;  Ps.  119:37,  loi ;  Prov.  4:26,  27;  Rom. 
5:3;  2  Cor.  4:17;  I  Peter  3:14;  4:13;  Rev.  3:19. 


QUESTION  CVII. 


What  doth  the  conclusion  of  the  Lord's 
Prayer  teach  us? 

ANSWER. 

The  conclusion  of  the  Lord's  Prayer,  which 
is:  "For  Thine  is  the  kingdom,  and  the  power, 
and  the  glory,  for  ever.  Amen,"  teacheth  us  to 
take  our  encouragement  in  prayer  from  God 
only,  and  in  our  prayers  to  praise  Him,  ascrib- 
ing kingdom,  power,  and  glory  to  Him;  and  in 
testimony  of  our  desire  and  assurance  to  be 
heard  we  say,  "Amen." 

Q.  I.  Is  the  right  of  these  final  words  to  a  place 
in  the  Lord's  Prayer  disputed? 

A.  Yes.  They  are  omitted  in  the  Revised  Ver- 
sion, and  are  not  found  in  the  corresponding  passage  in 
Luke  1 1  :2-4. 

Q.  2.  How  do  those  who  deem  these  words  spu- 
rious account  for  their  admission  into  the  text? 

A.  It  is  conjectured  that  they  were  a  form  of  dox- 
ology  with  which  in  early  times  the  worshippers  were 
wont  to  follow  up  the  recital  of  the  Lord's  Prayer;  and 
that  thus  in  course  of  time  they  came  to  be  regarded  as 
a  part  of  that  prayer. 

Q.  3,  In  favor  of  the  retention  of  these  words  as  a 
part  of  the  Lord's  Prayer,  what  may  be  said? 

A.     a.  They  appear   to   be  a  fit  and   even    majestic 
winding  up  of  the  prayer; 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  405 

b..  Their  recognition  at  a  very  early  date  as  a 
part  of  Scripture  is  certain.  Toward  the 
end  of  the  fourth  century,  for  instance, 
Chrysostom,  one  of  the  most  accom- 
pHshed  of  the  "Fathers,"  commented 
upon  them  as  a  part  of  the  sacred  text; 

c.  It  seems,  therefore,  wise  in  the  present  state 
of  the  evidence  to  suffer  these  words  to 
retain  their  place.  If  in  the  lapse  of 
time  they  should  be  proved  spurious,  our 
Catechism  would  require  modification 
correspondingly. 

Q.  4.     What  is  the  plea  involved  in  this  conclusion? 

A.     a.  That  to  God  belongs  the  right  to  do  as  may 
seem  to  Him  meet.     The  kingdom  is  His ; 

b.  That  to  Him,  moreover,  pertains  the  might 

to  execute  His  will ; 

c.  That  to  Him,  besides,  shall  accrue  the  glory 

of  our  deliverance  from  all  evil  and  our 
attainment  of  all  good. 
Q.   5.     Is  the  very  act  of  prayer  an  ascription  of 
praise  to  God? 

A.  Yes ;  it  is  a  recognition  of  Him  as  worthy  of 
our  utmost  reverence,  confidence,  and  love, 

Q.  6.  Yet  is  not  provision  made  in  Scripture  for 
the  offering  of  praise  to  God  as  a  distinct  service? 

A.  Yes ;  we  are  in  His  Word  enjoined  again  and 
again  to  render  praise  to  Him ;  and  in  the  compilation 
called  "The  Book  of  Psalms"  a  praise-hook,  as  distin- 
guished from  a  prayer-hook,  has  been  provided  for  our 
use  in  the  exercise  of  praise. 

Q.  7.  Are  there  not  petitions  woven  into  the  praises 
embodied  in  the  Book  of  Psalms? 

A.  Yes ;  and  in  like  manner  praise  of  God  is  im- 
plied in  our  prayers ;  but  the  dominant,  or  characteristic, 


406  AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

feature  of  the  Psalms  is  praise,  whereas  the  distinctive 
feature  of  the  Lord's  Prayer  and  of  all  prayer  is  petition. 

Q.  8.  What  is  the  import  of  the  final  word, 
"Amen"? 

A.  This  is  a  Hebrew  word  which  means  "truly"  or 
"really."  Occurring  at  the  close  of  a  prayer,  it  appears  to 
embody  the  ideas  of  humble  acquiescence,  sincere  desire, 
and  calm  confidence,  or,  more  briefly,  is  equivalent  to 
"So  let  it  be"  and  "So  shall  it  be." 

Q.  9.  Why  does  not  this  model  prayer  end  with 
the  formula,  "For  the  sake  of  Christ,"  or,  "In  the  name 
of  Christ  we  ask"? 

A.  a.  It  was  framed  in  harmony  with  what  may 
be  called  the  reticence  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment dispensation,  which  lasted  till  the 
crucifixion  of  Christ; 
&..  Even  in  the  Old  Testament  worship  refer- 
ence was  ever  had  to  the  expiation  and 
propitiation  to  be  made  in  "the  fulness  of 
the  time,"  as  these  were  typified,  or  fore- 
shown, in  the  sacrificial  system  establish- 
ed by  God  and  explained  by  "holy  men 
from  God."  Gal.  3:8,  19,  23,  24;  Heb.  4: 
2;  II  :i3-i6. 

c.  Before  and  on  the  eve  of  His  departure,  our 
Lord,  it  may  be  said,  furnished  supple- 
mentary instruction  to  His  disciples 
touching  the  mode  of  prayer  by  telling 
them,  "Whatsoever  ye  shall  ask  the 
Fathe  in  My  name,  He  will  give  it  you. 
Hitherto  have  ye  asked  nothing  in  My 
name;  ask  and  ye  shall  receive,  that  your 
joy  may  be  full."  John  16:23,  24.  "In 
that  day  ye  shall  ask  in  My  name."  John 
16:26. 


THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM  407 

Q.  10.  In  offering  this  or  any  other  prayer,  should 
we  not  present  it  really  in  reliance  upon  Christ,  the  only 
Mediator,  whether  expressly  mentioning  His  name,  or 
not? 

A.  Yes.  John  14:6;  Eph.  2:18;  Col.  3:17;  Eph.  5: 
20. 

TEXTS   TO  BE   COMMITTED   TO    MEMORY. 

John  16:23,  24,  26;  Gal.  3:8,  19,  23,  24;  Heb.  4:2; 
II  :i3-i6;  Eph.  2:18;  Col.  3:17. 

THE  END. 


Date  Due 


